From Edie: Struggling with writer’s block? Learn how a simple writer’s affirmation video can calm your mind, restore confidence, and spark creativity so you can begin writing again with clarity and purpose.
How to Overcome Writer’s Block with a Simple Writer’s Affirmation Video
by Sarah Sally Hamer @SarahSallyHamer
Most writers have had that moment when they sit down to work and suddenly feel like their imagination has stepped out for the afternoon. The ideas are there somewhere, but they’re not exactly lining up to help. Creativity doesn’t respond well to pressure. It responds to atmosphere, encouragement, and a sense of calm. And one of the simplest ways to create that calm is by letting your affirmations come alive on screen.
What do you want in your head before you start to write?
The business of writing can suck the soul from even the most self-assured of us. We’re told that our writing isn’t good enough or our characters are flat or AI is going to destroy writing all together or that the market just continues to tighten and no one is going to ever make money again. Is that the way we should approach our stories? Writer’s block, anyone?
What if, instead, we have a few words of encouragement, where we can remember just what is important about our writing? It can make all the difference. Feelings of hope and excitement and belief can allow our thoughts to spill out onto a page with confidence.
A Writer’s Affirmation video is an easy thing.
There are as many different ways to create support as there are writers. One of the things that has worked for me is to print and frame a couple of the nicest, most complimentary reviews, awards, and rejections I’ve received and hang them on the wall of my office (Yes, even some of the rejections are nice and make me smile). When I get stuck or down-hearted and tell myself I’ll never write again, I read them and it shifts my whole writing mood. Sometimes I call a writing friend and we giggle about the craziness. And, I watch my video.
The Writer’s Affirmation video is my go-to now. I’m not just reading a sentence on a page. I watch the words appear slowly, paired with beautiful pictures and music that helps my shoulders drop a little. The combination of sound, color, and motion gives me support and encouragement. It’s like easing into warm water instead of jumping into a cold pool.
You don’t need fancy software to make one.
A simple slideshow or short video on a variety of platforms works beautifully. Pick a background or pictures that feel calming or inspiring. Choose music that sets the tone you want. You can certainly use something soft and steady if you’re trying to relax, or maybe something a little brighter if you need energy. Or both in the same or a different video. (I have more than one.) Then let your affirmations appear one at a time, at a pace that feels comfortable. The goal isn’t to rush through them. It’s to give each one a moment to land in your head and let you remember why you write in the first place.
What makes this digital ritual so helpful is that it gives your brain a cue: we’re shifting into creative mode now. You can play your video before you start writing, during writing, or whenever you feel stuck. Some writers use it as a morning warm‑up. Others play it in the evening as a way to reconnect with their creative self after a long day. It becomes a small, steady companion and reminds you that your imagination hasn’t gone anywhere. It just needed a softer invitation.
The affirmations themselves matter.
I recommend that they speak to your real emotional experience of writing. Of course, any affirmation that you resonate with is perfect. Here’s a short list of affirmations I find helpful. You’re welcome to use them but create your own too – ones that mean something to you:
- I don’t have to be brilliant today. I just have to begin.
- My creativity hasn’t disappeared. It’s just stretching its legs.
- I can start small. Small is enough.
- The words will come back. They always do.
- I’m allowed to write badly on the way to writing well.
- I’m allowed to enjoy this, even if it’s messy.
Of course, you can always add or subtract as you find things that work for you. And, like me, you may want to make more than one video. Or videos with a play list that matches the theme of what you’re writing with pictures that remind you of your characters and scenes.
Really, there is no limit. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. The point is simply to create something that helps you feel supported.
Technical Stuff
I’m not a professional video maker. Honestly, you don’t have to be. Both PowerPoint and Canva have relatively easy video-creation applications. Or you can print them on card stock and hold them in your hands. Either way works.
Another note: At this point, I’m not able to attach music to my videos successfully but that isn’t a problem at all for me. I have dozens of YouTube videos that allow me to play two or three hours of music, some of which I’ve been listening to for years. I just pull up my favorite of the day and watch my affirmation card deck. That way, as I start writing, I slide right into the music I’m already in tune with.
You can find free pictures on Pixabay (www.pixabay.com) or Unsplash (www.unsplash.com).
Music also is mostly copyrighted but there are a couple of free music websites. I recommend you check out YouTube Audio Library (www.youtube.com/c/audiolibrary-channel) and Free Music Archive (www.FreeMusicArchive.org).
Note: Depending on what you do with these videos, you need to be very aware of copyright restrictions on pictures and music. There are websites which allow you to use both for free.
If your creativity has been feeling a little quiet lately, a simple affirmation video might be the gentle nudge you need. It doesn’t demand anything from you. It doesn’t judge your pace. It just offers a moment of calm, a bit of encouragement, and a reminder that your imagination is still very much with you. Sometimes that’s all it takes to begin again.
How do you jump-start your creativity?
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A teacher of memoir, beginning and advanced creative fiction writing, and screenwriting at Louisiana State University in Shreveport for over twenty years, she also teaches online for Margie Lawson at WWW.MARGIELAWSON.COM and atHTTPS://NOSTRESSWRITING.COM/. Sally is a free-lance editor and book coach, with many of her students and clients becoming successful, award-winning authors. You can find her at SALLY@MINDPOTENTIAL.ORG
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