On the terrifying feeling of having no ideas

Spoiler: I end up with ideas

Every now and again, I will find myself with nothing to say. No ideas. I don’t have any thoughts on creativity. I dont have any book ideas. No hot takes. Nada.

Right now, I have finished my non fiction book. I have finished my sci fi book. My historical fiction baby is with the agent. I have no books I am currently writing! I have no thoughts to share on creativity. I’m reposting old content on my socials. I am waiting for new book ideas.

I have become the blank page.

And every fucking time this happens I genuinely think: I guess I’m done. I guess this is it. I guess I’ll never have an idea ever again and I must retire as a thinker and a writer.

It’s a genuine panic. It feels like when you lose lines when you’re performing on stage. When you’re waiting for your brain to give you the words, but the brain is just like:

“ ______________ ”

The horrid, panicked internal silence of an actor with forgotten lines and a writer with no ideas.

Here is what I need to hear when I am in this state:

• You are a Maker. BUT making cannot happen if you are not also consuming. The maker must also be living life, experiencing shit, reading, watching, absorbing, perceiving. Fill the fucking cup up baby, and live your freaking life. Ideas are littered around this spectacular, bizarre world - but you got to be out there living in it to stumble across them. I must participate.

• I must also watch. I must patiently and curiously watch the world. I think a big part of the reason why I have been struggling so much lately is because I have been non-stop. I have not been curious. I have been overstimulated. Curiosity needs a relaxed nervous system. I invite peace into my life, I invite patience, I sit back, sip my tea, and watch the world curiously. I trust that I will stumble across life changing ideas, silly ideas, shitty ideas, spectacular ideas, haunting ideas, controversial ideas. Thousands and thousands of ideas.

• You dont need to “keep up momentum”, race to stay relevant, or be at war with stagnancy. Trust the undulating rhythm of your creative journey. Stillness is not stagnancy. You are momentum. Fuck the algorithms. They can wait for you.

  Look at me go with all these ideas about not having ideas. If you are in a similar situation as me right now, let me gently tell you this: you are prolific, you are masterful, you are on the journey of having millions of ides. Chill the fuck out.

  Amie