Other types of "blocks."

I'm an actor as well and sometimes I have problems with beats. I have to sit down and really analyze what my character is trying to convey with each line.

As well, I'm an avid skier and some days my "ski legs" simply do not want to work. I end up with jello legs, falling this way and that. On those days I stick to blues and take it slow, one turn at a time.

I think that's true for all hobbies: sometimes you just need to take it slow, one turn at a time.

I am sure that 'blocks' exist in all forms of creativity. When I speak of 'block' I mean inhibition. IMO, at it's most basic, inhibition comes from fear and/or shame. All kinds of other more complex sentiment (envy, perfectionism) are based or built on these. When a person with creative impulses defeats themselves again and again when they attempt to follow those impulses it's some messed up mental mechanisms trying to protect them.

In pretty much every creative endeavor that requires self-expression or intelligence - music, writing, computer stuff, I suffer from inhibition. I can do so much, and then bammo - the road ends. I have made great advances in my ability to write in the last five years, but I still struggle a lot. I feel good about my sewing, and I am able to keep at that. I guess what makes it safe for me is that is is free from obvious self expression (differing from writing or music) and from the possibility of impressing people with one's intelligence.

Sometimes I get "blocked" with my knitting and needlepoint as well. I may know what I should knit or embroider, but for who knows what reason I just don't have energy or time to do that, and the deadline approaches and I get nervous. Or then the mistakes I've made make me disgust the whole project.

Similiar to Layla, I believe a lot of our 'blocks' come from a mixture of the deep-seated emotional fears. Shame is a powerful motivator (in this case, demotivator), and coupled with the desire for perfection (which is never truly attainable), you can start believing that your work is not perfect, and thereby shameful. I don't think that forcing 'the creative' out of you is an easy job - having to deal with all the external evaluation, as well as the internal, but I have always thought that writing ten useless words is better than writing nothing at all