It happens to all of us.

You’ve been tasked with writing an article. Or a speech. Or a blog post.

You sit, staring at a blank screen, because you can’t seem to put two cogent thoughts together.

Congratulations. You have writer’s block.

When this happens to me, I take a walk. Or go for a drive. Maybe watch a movie.

And many times, simply talking through my predicament with a colleague or friend is enough to kick start my creative processes.

But sometimes – sometimes – nothing comes to mind at all.

That’s because writer’s block is symptomatic; it means it’s time to stop. Take a knee. Re-fill the tank. Recharge.

It is said that in music the pauses are just as important as the notes in the score.

The same is true in our personal, professional, and creative lives. Pausing for reflection, and renewal, is as natural – and vital – as going going to sleep every night.

Our bodies and minds need downtime. Without it, we are metaphorically eating our seed corn. By neglecting regular, restorative breaks in our routine, we are inviting creative starvation.

We should schedule our downtime with as much intentionality as we treat our work schedule, because it is just as important. And ultimately, we’re not judged by the amount of time we spend at the office anyway; we’re judged solely by what we deliver at the end of the process.

What do you do, when you hit the creative wall?

Me? I write about writer’s block.

Go, and be you.