Writer's Block Procrastination Writing

The table won’t stop rocking beneath my laptop as I type; even the flower pot and my blue latte (sinine latte in Estonian) struggle to balance amidst my feverish typing spells. With my legs crossed, the edge of the wooden table cuts into my thigh, and the lack of back support has me either hunched over like the Hunchback of Notre Dame or seated perfectly erect like a proper lady. Wiggling my butt back a bit on the bench does little to ease my sense of comfort. It is disappointing that this cafe is not meeting my writing standards, as it is one of my favorite spots in Tallinn. They have great drinks and a lovely atmosphere, but when I write, I need a very specific environment, and my body and my typing fingers, along with my latte that jiggles with each keypress, tell me otherwise. Nope, Nop Cafe is not for writing, according to all these happenings. It’s okay. I’ve tried, and I’m here, aren’t I? Even before arriving at Nop, I was not feeling up to the task of writing, but I thought, as I often find is the case, that once I walked here and set my stuff up for my work, the creative flow would come. It happens each time I sit at Cuppa Jo’s in Yarmouth. Why, oh why, does it not seem to happen here?

Even in Dot Cafe, I was finding some ability to focus, and at the Arvo Pärt Keskus, I got a bit done. Is there something wrong with me that I cannot focus unless the environment meets my exact specifications? Why am I such a distractible person who cannot find a creative mindset unless I am in the right place at the right time? Is this what every writer faces each day? Writer’s Block at its finest? Distractions around every corner, people walking by, waiters clearing dishes from tables, customers arriving and leaving, strange ticking noises pushing through my noise-canceling headphones. Oh, that’s the music that the cafe is playing—modern music that hurts my soul (yes, I am as dramatic as I come across). 

Yet, despite stating quite a few times how uninspired I am to write, I find myself writing this, plain as day, obviously inspired enough to type these words onto a page. I might struggle to continue my novel, but I am not so inept that I can’t get something done. This is called “procrastination at its finest,” and my biggest accomplishment is that I am a professional procrastinator. Don’t believe me? I have many stories that prove my professionalism in this career. Is being a procrastinator a career? I think, in a way, it is. You have to be skilled to finish things while putting them off until the very last moment. I don’t recommend being a procrastinator, though, as it is an endlessly stressful career. It does have its moments, but the majority are bits of sitting in anxiety-ridden panic as you manically type away, attempting to finish a ten-page paper in less than two hours. Yes, I've done just that, more times that I care to admit.

For a moment, I got distracted enough by my writing that I forgot how uncomfortable this table setup was. But the rim under the small square table reminded me as I kept banging my knee against it, trying to cross my other leg. The wobble is back as well. It is like the water cycle, endlessly cycling round and round, never truly being resolved. As you can see, my mind likes to go off on tangents, and thus my writing takes off to unexpected places. Going back to the topic at hand:

How does one solve the ever-present writer’s block procrastination writing?

A change of scenery? A dose of caffeine? Some magic potion or fairy dust that will force the creativity to flow? I wish I could answer those questions for you, but I, sadly, cannot. Instead, I offer solace, as I feel the same way and am still struggling to solve this constant cycle. The only thing that seems to work for me is going to the exact table at the exact cafe each time, at the same time of day, the same day of the week, to create a sense of routine. Once my routine is changed, I fall into the endless cycle again.

Thank you for joining me as I struggle through my procrastination writing. Hopefully, the next time you find yourself in a similar situation, you think back to this blog post and remind yourself that you can do it, and the creativity will come soon enough. But, if not, at least remind yourself that it truly could be the space is just not conducive enough for your creative mindset. Maybe the chair is too tall or too short. Or maybe it is the wobbly table and the glasses performing their balancing acts. Find a change of scenery and start again!

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~Rachel