On Writer's Block: A New Approach to Creativity

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0395647282 ISBN 13: 9780395647288

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1993

Creative blocks are as old as the written word and a source of guilt and frustration that have afflicted the lives of many of the greatest writers and artists. Yet such mysterious creative silences need not be feared. Rather, argues Victoria Nelson, they should be viewed as a positive element in a writer's or artist's growth, the unconscious mind's signal to readjust the approach to a work in progress. By defining the true nature of this condition and developing an understanding of its varied origins, the author shows writers and artists how to reestablish contact with their creative selves.

Review:

Writer's block is almost certainly older than the first written word. In this liberating book, Nelson explores how writer's block can be turned into a positive experience by listening to and learning from the unconscious, which often is attempting to suggest a better approach to the task at hand. By clarifying the origins of writer's block, Nelson allows you to transform annoying conceptual and emotional obstructions into beneficial tools and building blocks for creativity. Recommended.