Get Up Again
by Jan Powell
(Micah 7:8, NKJV).
“Help, I’ve fallen . . .” The familiar old ad ends with a terrifying phrase. “And I can’t get up.”
Writers could personalize this plea by praying, “Help, I’ve got writers’ block and I can’t get going again.”
I can relate. Official elderliness and unexpected health declines wiped out my regular exercise routine and ushered in months of physical therapy. In-person sessions and online videos have taught me to strengthen my balance to prevent falling and aid recovery. Movement matters.
In our youth, we can rebound from a fall like a Jack-in-the-Box toy. We may still recover quickly in middle age, but advanced years raise concerns about our ability to rise again. Experts preach the importance of core muscle strength and balance exercises for healthy aging.
As authors, we also need to center ourselves on foundational blessings and practice our skills.
Conquering writers’ block requires performing balance techniques with daily activities. We can try various techniques for restoration when our wells of inspiration run as dry as sand in the desert. Trying fresh options may encourage us to start again. Like the strength gained from physical workouts, composition discipline leads us to establish schedules that crush frustration and restore ideas. We can also turn to books and suggestions on the internet where experienced authors offer pages of help about defeating this malady.
I plan to write every day in order to build my creative muscles.
Since exercise results vary for each of us, we must customize our routines according to what works. But a few basic elements may benefit us all.
First, we refute Satan’s attempt to keep us down and blind by seeking God for his light. We expect answers when we pray because the Lord’s calling comes with his help. A life balance that includes composing with prayer taps divine creativity.
Second, we study the practices of those who have fallen and risen before us. We can follow their tracks through that desolate sand to the water of renewal. God provides us guidance through our fellowship with Christian authors as we plan, brainstorm, and polish our work together.
Third, we discern when to explore new projects and let stagnant ones rest. A change of pace can stimulate us. Having regular writing rhythms benefits our output.
Fourth, we honor the Christ-honoring passions that pull us forward. We press on, practice getting up, and keep composing. We use our gifts.
Father of rising again, help me when I’m stuck. Enable me to lift others who feel blocked. Let us all write worthily and well. Amen.
Jan Powell, a graduate of the University of South Florida, helps writers through Writing with You, offering editing, rewriting, and coaching for fiction and non-fiction. Published in The Wordsmith Journal and Splickety, she has written for Inkspirations since the beginning. Her in-depth editing includes poetry, devotionals, memoirs, fantasy, murder mysteries, thrillers, romantic suspense, and flash fiction. She has hosted Tampa Word Weavers for almost two decades and has served in its leadership.
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