Isn't it great to have days when you can't write? It's fun!

Usually, things I want to write about flow out like a spring, but today, nothing is coming out at all.

When that happens...

① Just read other people's notes and X posts like crazy.
Pick up words that catch your interest. Keep going until the urge to write bubbles up.


② Stare intently at a blank draft.
I actually do this more often than you'd think. There's something lovely about a blank screen. I start thinking, 'How should I color this?' and get more and more excited.


③ Step away from the iPad and go about daily life until an idea hits.
During that time, I intentionally keep my brain churning with, 'What should I write, what should I write...'


④ Try writing about the fact that you can't write.
It's just like what I'm doing right now. When I write sentences like, 'I can't think of anything to write,' my fingers start moving on their own. Sometimes another topic I want to write about suddenly comes from the side, or I just enjoy the feeling of not being able to write.
It also serves as a memo for myself, like, 'Oh, this is what I did when I couldn't write,' and maybe there are people out there wondering, 'What do you do when you can't write?' I'd be happy if sharing 'This is what I do' helps someone.


⑤ Think only about short blurbs.
I think to myself, 'Oh, so my brain 🧠 wants a day off from thinking about long sentences today, huh? Okay, just a short blurb then. Just a tiny bit, come on brain 🧠, you can do it.' Surprisingly, when I think about what I want to blurb, the urge to write often comes back and I end up writing anyway.

⑥ Interrogate yourself on why you can't write.
Suddenly, I write in a blank draft, 'Hey, why? Why can't you think of anything to write?' Then I answer, 'Well, I'm just not in the mood to write today,' or 'I don't have time and my brain hasn't switched into writing mode.' If you ask yourself a question in the first sentence, it surprisingly keeps going a lot.

⑦ Be happy that you've had a 10% day.
Instead of thinking, 'I've been writing with so much effort lately, but today I can't think of anything at all...', I try to be happy for my future self by saying, 'Alright! Today is a 10% writing day.'
Then tomorrow I'll think, 'I wrote with 10% effort yesterday, so today I feel more relaxed.' When you think about it that way, even days when you can't write start to seem like good days.

⑧ Try incorporating whatever is right in front of you.
It's nice weather today. I think, 'Is there anything I think about on sunny days?' or 'Do I like sunny or rainy days better?' or 'My mood is so heavily influenced by the weather, isn't it?'

'My husband's snoring is loud, but it's cute.'
'Don't wake up, kids, I want to write more.'
'I like writing notes in a room that's still dark.'
Once I incorporate those, I start digging deeper into things that might be a bit unusual, like, 'Wait? Am I the only one who thinks my husband's snoring is cute?' Before I know it, I'm writing.

I wanted to reach a nice round number of 10, but it started feeling forced, so I'll end it at 8, even if it's incomplete.

I couldn't think of anything this morning, so I ended up writing this article.

See, aren't days when you can't write actually pretty good?