Avoiding Writers’ block

Anybody with an interest in architecture has probably heard of Frank Gehry. He was a prolific architect responsible for famous buildings around the world, including Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Walt Disney Concert Hall and Dancing House. His style is immediately recognisable: chaotic, unconventional and probably a builder’s nightmare. Yet his work is undeniably iconic and beautiful.

I once watched a documentary that followed his creative process during the early stages of a new project. At one point, he simply screwed up a piece of paper into a ball and placed it on his desk. That crumpled piece of paper became the starting point for his design.

This simple act guaranteed him a beginning. He didn’t sit around waiting for inspiration to strike.

I can really relate to that idea. I often tell clients that it’s much easier to critique or reshape something that already exists than to create something from absolutely nothing. When it comes to songwriting, instead of waiting for the perfect lyric to magically appear, start by writing anything. You could even copy a passage from a cookbook.

The goal is simply to place some clay in front of yourself so you have something to mould and shape. Those random words from the cookbook might inspire a rhythm, a structure, or a phrase you like. Or they might not. There may only be a single line that sparks something useful. But that isn’t really the point.

The important thing is that you’ve started.

So many creative projects are abandoned before they even begin because people become trapped waiting for the “right” idea. But creativity is often less about inspiration and more about momentum. Once you begin moving, even with something imperfect or meaningless, your instincts start to take over. The finished work may contain none of the original material, but without that first imperfect step, it may never have existed at all.