“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.“ Martha Graham, dancer & choreographer.

Writer’s block describes an inability or severe reduction in the ability to produce work. Obviously, the term is usually associated with authors but essentially the same difficulties can be experienced by anyone involved in creative pursuits. At best, writer’s block is extremely frustrating, but at its worst it can lead to stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression and it can completely halt a career. Over the years, this has become one of my specialised areas and I have worked successfully with a very wide range of clients to help them overcome obstacles to their creative productivity. Examples include, budding writers working on their first book, established authors experiencing difficulty mid-career, musicians struggling with compositions, students writing theses, academics completing publications and a range of fine artists struggling to create. A huge range of factors can contribute to writer’s block. Some common examples are listed below:

• Excessive self-criticism and perfectionism
• Self-doubt and low self-esteem
• Fear of success
• Fear of failure
• Fear of comparison with others
• Financial anxieties
• Lack of, or conflicted, motivation
• Lack of meaning, purpose or value
• Lack of inspiration
• Lack of imagination or reduced creativity
• Overly-rigid rules for the production of work
• Not understanding one’s own creative process
• Stuck ‘energy’
• Rejection of previous work
• Dependence on drugs or alcohol to be creative

The client-centred approach to therapy, that is the belief that every person and issue is unique and requires an individually-tailored approach, is especially applicable to issues of creativity because creativity flows directly from our uniqueness. Drawing on over two decades of experience, I employ techniques from hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, coaching, stress management and neurolinguistics programming (NLP) to explore whatever is holding you back and to help to set you free. If you have any questions, or if you would like to book an initial consultation, please get in touch and we can discuss how  I can help you.

Related Articles

• Online Therapy
• Improve Emotional Intelligence
• Reduce Stress
• End Self-Sabotage
• Enhance Creativity
• Be More Confident

Mark Witter

Mark Witter MA DHP PhD

A highly qualified and experienced hypno-psychotherapist, creating a safe, compassionate and professional environment to confidentially support your healing and personal development.

Find out more about Mark