Writing is an underground river running internally, and blooms in strange geysers, lakes and waterfalls when the cracks for it to emerge are created. It is the expression of a living force, something that is always there, the river running silent and in the dark. Taking care of one’s own writing is a commitment that has more to do with nurturing the flow of that life force than with obtaining products or results. Different factors can threaten to clog the river channel with stones or dry it up, especially if we believe that writing is about getting things out of writing. In this article we look at some of the dangers facing the practice of writing, some reasons to believe again if you have lost faith, and some strategies for moving beyond the drought.
Danger number one: clinging
-Clinging to ideas about literature and writing.
When we begin to construct judgements about what is supposed to be good and bad literature, acquired ideas can be barriers that do not allow us to flow freely; we pretend that writing is synonymous with writing well. Ideas form boundaries that separate what we should and should not write. By way of example, some time ago I would not have allowed myself to write articles like the ones on this website, full of personal references and written in the first person. Let it be.
-Clinging to expectations about our own writing.
Sometimes writing channels a force so great that once we let it flow we expect the same power to come from the other side. Don’t expect anything, just help the creature to be born.
-Clinging to teachers who do not have the capacity to make the commitment.
When we are in formation, we turn to more experienced people who can guide us. Sometimes these people do not have the emotional stability to take on the commitment of accompanying a world that is growing, they fear that this world will stick to their name. Refusals and silences can be painful and frustrating. Just be grateful and move on.
Danger number two: to be exhausted
-Exhausting creativity at work.
Just as electricians make a living from making electrical connections, so often those of us who write cultivate professions that help us to make a living from writing. Working on writing for other people’s projects can be dangerous for personal writing, even more so in precarious work environments. Keep writing, don’t stop believing in the flowing river: it’s more important than anything you write from 9am to 5pm.
-Exhausting yourself looking for spaces.
Like everything else in this world, the spaces needed to flourish can be difficult to obtain if you don’t have the necessary contacts. Do you want to publish a new book of poetry? It may be difficult to do so if you are not friends with the publisher. Do you want to read at the cultural centre? It’s probably easier if the curators know your name. Want to write for the local newspaper? The editor will probably choose someone she knows and never open your Linktree. You have plenty of capacity to do that. Focus your energy on things that do happen, until you have the strength to try again, or create your own spaces to do so.
-Exhausting yourself from focusing energy on writing.
Too much energy spent on trying things that don’t happen can divert us from the practice itself. Don’t leave the notebook, help the creative energy to keep flowing. Remember that your life is more satisfying if you write, than if you don’t write.
Danger number three: stop believing
When all these dangers threaten our writing, it can happen that we forget of writing itself, that strange force that pushed us to be where we are now. We stop believe in writing and we no longer dedicate time to it. We let the river dry.
Take the commitment to mantain the flow alive. Remember that writing is something that lives together with you, and needs care. Something like a river, or maybe, a fire.
A little fire 
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