I’m not sure why but I’ve never celebrated the milestones for this weekly blog like I do with those that I hit for my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast. It’s not that it’s the proverbial redheaded stepchild, but I guess it’s more of a put my head down and keep pressing forward type of mindset. Perhaps I need to reevaluate as a 2024 New Year’s resolution since it’s now been more than nine years that I’ve been publishing something new here every week.
That’s not to say that there haven’t been weeks when I’ve frozen and sat staring at a blank screen on a Monday morning, worrying about, “What in the world am I going to write as my blog for this week.”
And no, this isn’t a post about writer’s block. Instead, I’m here to encourage you and tell you why you should bear down and just let it come to you.
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If you’ve been listening to my podcast long enough, you’ve heard songwriters say that that’s how a lot of them like to operate. They don’t force it, and voila, they end up coming up with something that they’re so, so proud of.
But you see, I can relate to a mood where you’re feeling burned out or unenthusiastic. I honestly can. So, here are some reasons why you need to triumph over that temptation to just say, “The heck with it. No one is going to care if I don’t publish this time. I seriously doubt anyone will miss it.”
What you write just might be what they needed to read/hear on that particular day. You might not ever know it if you don’t hear from them, but that’s okay. You gave someone something that they really needed, and it might be more impactful than you can imagine.
Furthermore, I have had blogs that I’ve started into when I wasn’t feeling all that inspired, and by the time I was done it turned out that *I* was the one who felt really good. “Wow, I really like this one. It really turned out good,” I’ll think to myself. And so, the person you were writing it for actually ended up being yourself in a roundabout way. Yes, of course, you still want it to move the readers, but you’ve already had success with it.
Over my more than nine-and-a-half years hosting the “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast I’ve heard a lot of guests say that it’s the song that they really didn’t have very much – if any – expectations for that ended up doing really (in some cases REALLY) well. And it’s the songs that they were over the moon about, and thought would absolutely be a hit that, unfortunately, really didn’t turn out to do much at all.
And for the third week in a row, I’m going to again say that once you decide, “Eh, I’m just going to skip this week,” now you’ve given yourself permission to do that a second time, and a third time, and, well you see how this can be very dangerous.
As soon as you get an idea, write it down, say it into a voice note, tell your smart speaker, run to your laptop, or just get it down somehow. Don’t just think, “Oh, I’ll remember it.” If I think of something on, say, a Wednesday or Thursday, there’s no way I’m going to still know on Monday morning what it was supposed to be.
There are times when I write the whole blog regardless of the day of the week because the blood is flowing, the inspiration is there, and I’m caught up in the momentum of the idea building in my head. Sometimes I’m fortunate enough to face the, “I can’t type as fast as this whole blog is developing in my head.”
And now comes the big secret. I don’t mind revealing to you that what you’ve just read was written immediately upon finishing writing last week’s blog! That’s right, last Monday I wrote this for today because it came to me then and I just had to seize the moment.
Embrace your creativity. You and/or someone in your audience might just benefit from your dedication more than you realize.
For close to 20 years, I’ve been helping folks across the U.S. from indie music artists to authors, entrepreneurs, actors and filmmakers, small business owners, and podcasters. Let’s jump on a call and talk about what you’re doing and where you’re trying to get to. Take advantage of all my years of experience to ensure that you’re pointed in the right direction. I’ll look forward to chatting with you!