How do you push through creative blocks?

Writer’s block is something that tends to bother writers in different ways throughout their careers. I started writing and publishing poetry back in the early 2000s, and I mostly struggled then with finding ideas and concepts to writer about. I had so little experience in the world back then, so I frequently employed free writing techniques to get into a topic. Today, I have found that technique less helpful as my writing career has evolved. I tend to be much more of a planner these dates, creating outlines and writing numerous drafts of a piece before the they reach fruition.

What tips would you give someone taking their first steps in creative work? What did you need to hear when you were getting started?

Like many new writers, I started my career feeling insecure about my voice and ideas for writing. I hesitated on almost every word in a poem, agonizing over every little detail. I was only capable of writing short pieces back then. It just took too long to write anything else. I would always tear it down until only a small poem was left. I feel a bit more confident these days, which has led to longer pieces. I think receiving more positive feedback from rejected pieces back then might have made a huge difference in my confidence as a writer. I would also tell new writers just to keep moving forward after rejections. Rejection is just part of the process. It helps us learn to do more with our writing—use it as a chance to grow.

Give us some background on the piece you contributed to this issue.

I grew up on a lake. Snake Hunting came naturally from those experiences running around a lakeshore with my younger brother. We often went snake hunting in the fashion described in the poem. It was such an odd and beautiful time in my life. I feel the poem is about how those years shaped and guided my future choices in life. As cliché as it might sound, the poem is also about the loss of childhood innocence.

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