Lauren Sapala

Search results for: “infj writer”

  • The 3 Biggest Self-Sabotage Traps for Writers

    The 3 Biggest Self-Sabotage Traps for Writers

    In my last article, Still Putting Off Your Writing Dreams? How to Stop Self-Sabotaging and Start Writing, I talked about how common it is for writers to self-sabotage themselves. What I’ve discovered after working with hundreds of writers over the past decade as a writing coach is that self-sabotage usually takes a very specific form with creative people.

    There are 3 self-sabotage traps I see writers fall into all the time, and what makes it so difficult to get out of these traps is that, on the surface, they seem logical. Each trap is a belief or statement that the writer makes to themselves, or a goal they set for their writing, that seems like it will move them forward. However, each trap does the complete opposite and only blocks the writer from making any progress at all. (more…)

  • Here’s One Quick Secret Writers Can Use to Conquer Self-Doubt Forever

    Here’s One Quick Secret Writers Can Use to Conquer Self-Doubt Forever

    Do you constantly compare yourself to other writers?

    Do you set goals for yourself as a writer and then somehow fall short of them every time?

    Do you start new writing practices full of enthusiasm, but then sooner or later you dread sticking with it?

    If you’re like so many other writers out there, the answer to these questions is sadly, “yes.” And every time something like this happens to you, you end up in a pit of despair, right? You question yourself, your writing talent, and your ability to make your dreams happen. (more…)

  • Why Are Writers So Susceptible to Toxic Ideas About Creativity?

    Why Are Writers So Susceptible to Toxic Ideas About Creativity?

    In my last article, One of the Biggest (and Most Dangerous) Myths in the Writing Community, I talked about the dangerous idea that is so prevalent in the writing community that “creativity has to be hard.” This idea is so dangerous because it stresses writers out to the point where they are totally consumed with anxiety and they then bring a ton of resistance to their writing projects, or can’t write at all.

    Today, I’m talking about WHY we are so susceptible to this toxic belief and why it can be so hard to uproot it from our creative practice, like a tenacious weed that just won’t let go.

    The reason is because, as a society, we are almost wholly dependent on our brains. We use our brains to navigate our world, interpret all information, and make every decision, very rarely ever checking in with our hearts. We have been programmed and trained to operate in this way from an early age, and if we do, by chance, happen to be a person who has broken out of this way of doing things and has tried to find greater balance by reconnecting with our heart, we are usually shamed in some way, and told we are “too idealistic,” “too sensitive,” and made to feel that we’re even possibly just slightly stupid. (more…)

  • Are You a Writer Who’s Lost Your Inspiration?

    Are You a Writer Who’s Lost Your Inspiration?

    Nothing feels worse than being a writer who has lost all inspiration. Every time you sit down to write you feel like the well has run dry. You feel empty, disappointed, disconnected, and like your inspiration will never come back.

    Is it possible to recover from this type of situation?

    Even though it feels hopeless when you’re going through it, it IS possible to get your inspiration back as a writer. However, it’s not as simple as using good writing prompts or putting yourself on some sort of schedule to enforce discipline. Inspiration tends to shy away from too much structure and too many rules, so using these types of strategies may only compound the problem. (more…)

  • Are You an Overthinking Writer?

    Are You an Overthinking Writer?

    I’ve worked with hundreds of writers over the past eight years and one of the most common problems they report to me is overthinking. They might overthink the idea of their story, how the characters should act, who’s going to read their memoir, if they’re writing their book in the right format, or a dozen other things.

    One thing is for sure, when a writer starts to overthink things, the writing goes downhill fast. This is because most of the creative “problems” that arise with writing are not issues that you can think your way out of, and this is so hard for so many people to grasp because we live in a society that tells us that thinking is the answer to everything. And if you’re truly stuck about something, well, you just need to think harder.

    But thinking harder doesn’t get us anywhere. In fact, it only makes us feel more paralyzed, more stuck and frozen and scared, and more hopeless. (more…)

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