What do you write about, when you can’t think of anything or you don’t feel inspired? That is a great question. I feel stuck this week. I don’t want to write something just to write—and it be uninteresting or worse yet, not even worth reading.

What do professionals do in this situation? I bet they sit down and write. Or, maybe they go to a favorite place that makes them feel creative—maybe they sip a cup of coffee on their porch or go for a walk or listen to music. Those sound like great ideas.

Perhaps, stop reading the news and stop scrolling Facebook . . . instead, stop and listen to the sounds around you.

Right now, I hear birds chirping. I hear the honking of geese as they fly overhead. A turtle outside my window is walking slowly through the grass—so slowly that you can barely tell it is moving at all. I hear the zooming of cars on the nearby interstate.

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Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one.

— Stella Adler (1901-1992) American actress and acting teacher

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Time flows like a stream and I wish to stop and observe—and listen to the music of nature. Sometimes life pushes us to always be productive. Sometimes we do not need to do that—we need to stop and simply be.

Noticing what is happening around us slows us down—it calms our senses and our brains. The more we pause to observe—the more we notice.

Observing nature is an act of mindfulness. And, the more we observe, the more it becomes a habit. 

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I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day’s work.

— Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) American architect, designer, writer, and educator

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Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.

— Wallace Stevens (1879-1955) American modernist poet

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I got stuck because I forgot to stop and listen. And, I missed my walk around the lake. I meant to take that walk . . . but things got in the way and I was too tired. 

How did I become unstuck? I started writing—trusting—no, hoping words would come. I stopped to listen. In writing, listening, and reflecting—I heard nature and was reminded of the importance of being still and simply observing. Next week, I won’t miss that walk around the lake.