Writing During an Apocalypse

Thomas Mann said, “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” This is even more true during a Global Pandemic. Under the looming threat of dictatorship and facism. As much of the US is on fire. And many are experiencing unprecedented temperature extremes. Or facing once-in-century hurricanes routinely… Let’s just commit to the Apocalypse terminology.

There have been numerous studies on the effects of stress or discomfort on learning and creativity. Some might find the results interesting, in that if a person is too comfortable or at ease it will actually hinder or impede progress. The same studies found that excessive or extreme stress has similar results as too little. Moderate stress or discomfort is psychologically conducive to growth. I think it’s safe to say that the Apocalypse is NOT reflective of moderate levels of stress.

Other studies have shown that living in unpredictable and high pressure surroundings for sustained periods of time can lead to chemistry and structural changes to the brain. The good news is that our brains are highly adaptive and through neural plasticity, or the ability for new pathways to form around lesions or other environmental changes, any long-term effects can be mitigated over time. The bad news is that the short-term really sucks for writing or other creative endeavors.

A critical factor to surviving these tumultuous times with your sense of self intact is to remind yourself that any expectations you might have had on your ability to produce good art are probably unrealistic. Think of the level of success you “should” ideally be able to perform in these times. Now lower that bar.

Even more.

Seriously? Okay.

A tiny bit more.

There we go, that’s better.

Another factor is to celebrate what successes you do have, regardless of how these accomplishments compare to what would be typical in pre-Apocalyptic conditions. Did you edit for half an hour? Throw yourself a freaking mini-party. Did you write 500 words? Break into song on your grandness. You deserve it.

Strive to avoid comparing your efforts to those of another. “Don’t measure yourself with someone else’s ruler,” is useful in any situation. But once again, in the Apocalypse, it would be helpful to embrace this philosophy.

A self-affirmation may seem cheesy, but it’s a powerful tool to help keep yourself mindful of what’s important to you. Some examples of self-affirmations are — “I deserve kindness, from myself and others.” “I am doing enough, I am enough.” or “This too shall pass.” Write an affirmation that works for you on something like a sticky note and put it place of importance that you will see everyday. Some examples include your bathroom mirror you brush your teeth in front of.

• Lower expectations
• Celebrate victories
• Avoid comparisons
• Use self-affirmations

If you can keep some of these things in mind, you might find that you help break some of the cycle of negativity that is only another stumbling block on the way to creative satisfaction during truly untenable conditions. If you don’t find any measurable changes in your progress, refer back to the list above and be kind to yourself. You are a warrior and a survivor. Bangarang.