Writing has generally come pretty easily for me. I have a great memory, so my filing cabinet of a brain is constantly spitting out old memories from which to draw upon. (No, not all of them are appropriate! Hello, I filter!) And I’ve lived through quite a bit of drama and many hilarious experiences, so as soon as I think of a snappy title, my mind usually churns with ideas that dovetail to form paragraphs and a rough outline immediately takes shape. I said writing generally comes easily to me. But lately the well has run a bit dry. I think of a funny title and then stare at the screen waiting for genius to take over and… nothing. I remember a great line from a movie, but then can’t seem to find a link in my past to complement that blurb. So less than a year into my illustrious blogging career, I’m hitting the wall.
On a positive note, I’m much more focused on work. So instead of jumping out of bed to furiously type something, I lumber from my slumber and hit the park to brainstorm ways to network, test out new marketing concepts in my head, and scribble new taglines for my upcoming ads. The paradigm has indeed shifted. I guess that’s a good thing? My job is getting the benefit of my creativity and time, while would-be titles like, Pardon My French Toast, The Princess & The Black Eyed Peas, and Oh, $600!, sit unfinished. (That last one is about extraordinarily expensive must-haves. I still think it has potential… but I’ll get back to you.)
Often times we marathoners use the expression “hitting the wall” when we get to mile 19 or so. (I sound like a marathonER when I’ve done just one marathon, right?) Picture this… you’ve been running for a few hours, exhaustion is setting in, and you realize the full force of the phrase, “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” because it takes the better part of the day, and the road seems to stretch on endlessly. (Am I rambling? Exactly. Feels like it takes forever to cross the finish line.) Where was I going with this? Oh, yeah. I certainly hit the wall when I’m tired and I know it’s time for bed– like now. I hit the wall in some conversations when it’s time to say goodnight, Gracie. So why don’t I hit the wall with a tube of Pringles, individually wrapped peanut butter cups or in season cherries? I can eat all three of those foods (no, not at the same time!) with no limit on the intake. No alarm bells sound. There’s not even a flashing light of warning when the tank is almost full. Why is there no wall to hit when clearly there exists imminent collateral damage to not stopping?
Michael keeps telling me not to worry but how can I not when my veritable fountain of creativity has slowed to all but a trickle. He says that my focus has shifted, so the creativity has too. Maybe he’s right. As I sit here yawning, anxious to wrap up, I’m already thinking of my upcoming meetings and new ideas for my next ad. So I guess I’m reminded that some days are meant for blogging but on most days, work should be my priority anyway. Come to think of it, a nice stack of Pringles might help me regain my focus. Yes, definitely. And I’m going to start that new post sometime later today or tomorrow. This week? Maybe after these first few chips… or the next handful for sure. Could Chipping Away be my next post? Stay tuned to see!
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