Learn to Start - Develop the beginner’s mind

I know the feeling: staring at a blank page, it feels like standing in front of a slab of marble. The pen is a chisel in your hand, and you know that the second you put it to paper, it’s forever. Sure, you can cross it out or erase every word, but you’ll… always know And so that first stroke is everything; it sets the tone for the entire piece. How could you possibly start?

This mindset is often the scaffold of thought present when someone suffers from writer’s block. It often stems from pressure, either from a deadline or just a self-imposed desire to be an expert. This pressure warps your mind, making you take everything just a little more seriously than you need to. What we need to do is develop the beginner’s mind.

The Beginner’s mind

The beginner’s mind, or shoshin in Zen Buddhism, is the practice of approaching a task with openness, eagerness, and a lack of preconceptions, just as a beginner would. It means you don't need to worry about the final product; you can just focus on your task one step at a time. If that’s writing, it's one word at a time. If you're painting, it's one brushstroke at a time.

Even the great Michelangelo understood this. He said, "The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material." He probably said it in Italian but the point still stands. To overcome creative block, you just have to chisel away at the task. Write it out one word at a time, or paint just for painting's sake. Focus on the process, and the next step will reveal itself. Before you know it, the purpose of your work, the message, or the genius within will reveal itself to you.

But let’s say you’re still struggling. You begin to think, “I’m the worst writer.” Well then, prove it. That is what Dan Harmon, writer of Community and Rick and Morty, suggests you do. When you get that belief that you absolutely suck at your chosen craft, take it as an excuse to enjoy being bad. - we wrote about that here if you want to read more -Write the worst piece of writing ever, paint an awful painting, make a terrible song.

Again, this is just another form of chiseling away the excess to reveal the essence hiding within. It allows you to empty all of your thoughts, step by step, with each one becoming easier than the last, until you can find a flow state.

Here’s how this approach can help you:

• It distracts you from the problem:: The main issue with writer's block is a desire to write with no luck. By focusing on clearing the traffic jam of thoughts in your mind without worrying about quality, you disarm your inner critic and get to work. When you decide that you will be creating regardless of if you feel ready to - you no longer focus on perfection and ease the problem. 

• It Builds Momentum and Flow: Because you’re focused on just the next word, brushstroke, or pencil marking, you are consistently making progress. You’re continually chiseling away the indecision and worry, replacing it with flow and progress.

• It Fosters Creativity: By removing any limiting beliefs and operating with curiosity and experimentation as the priority over quality, this approach allows you to flesh out different ideas and explore them to their maximum.

• It Builds Resilience: You reduce the fear of making mistakes by embracing them and seeing them as lessons learned. You'll know for next time that all you have to do is begin and not worry beyond the next step.

So it’s on you now. The next time you find yourself stuck and unable to start your next project, take the time to just play. Start chiselling away and eventually inspiration will strike.

Michelangelo quote "The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material."