Finding Forrester:

No thinking — that comes later. You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is to write, not to think!

Ideas float and slip by, like mercury at room temperature. I'm pretty sure I had great ideas, but I cannot recall them, not even a hint of what it was, with only a few minutes passing by. Like a fleeting moment of enlightenment, suddenly drowned by the noise of the USB-powered fan on the table. What the heck am I doing? Writer's block, or blocks in general, are just that. Blocks. An obstacle trying to prevent one going from one place to another. How to overcome it is pretty easy, but the cause is much more of a mystery that will most likely depend on one's DNA, physiology, psychological health, and emotional state, among others. The usual suspects are depression, hunger, not enough time for one's self, sleep deprivation, fatigue, lack of new things that stimulate and excite the senses, and sheer boredom. Your causes may vary, but that's what I'm sticking with. Knowing the causes helps a lot in overcoming and preventing blocks from happening. Although blocks are more generally related with writing, it can also relate to creativity, and one's wellness and perception. So how do you get over the causes of a block? For depression, a change in attitude is necessary. Have a mantra ready to be chanted on the onset of, or suspicions of an onset of, depression. A good mantra should help you keep your sanity and make your life more bearable. Of course, you don't have to confine yourself with just one mantra. You can have as many as you want for as many things you need it with, like work, family, friends, enemies, world domination, etc. Hunger is easily overcome by eating. But it would be better if you ate what you're craving for. There are times when you're craving for something but you just can't put a finger on it, so to speak. Therein lies the rub. Just keep in mind the words trial and error. Get a little bit something of what you think you want to eat, and if it's not what you think you wanted, get something else. Of course, the side effect is getting bloated before finding out what you truly wanted. There's always tomorrow, though, so don't rush it. Sleep deprivation, on the other hand, is quite tricky as it needs time, and lots of it. This would also coincide with having time for yourself. One would need to manage time wisely, so as to allot ample amounts of time for both. However, one of the two gets sacrificed most of the time. What I would suggest is to give a chance to both. One day, choose sleep over time for yourself. If you end up depressed for not having time for yourself, then go ahead and try having some time for yourself, giving up sleeping time. There's a big chance of you getting cranky for lacking sleep, but make it worthwhile so you won't be as depressed as losing time for yourself. For fatigue, rest is what you need. Of course, you don't have to sleep to rest, although the best way to rest is to sleep. A few minutes of listening to some calming, relaxing music while sitting on a comfortable chair in a comfortable position should do the trick. If not, refer to the previous paragraph. A change of atmosphere or environment greatly helps in re-stimulating your senses. Redoing your den, workstation, room, or whatever is a great way of breaking the monotony of working, either at home or in an office. It also kills boredom, if only for a few minutes, or if you're lucky, hours. Buying something new also helps as it forces you to learn something new, especially if it's a new thingamajig that came out a few hours ago. Just make sure it's something you're really excited about. And also, do not raise your expectations to an unreasonable level, so that you won't get too disappointed. Research also on what you are planning to purchase, starting, or learning. Make sure you have enough time to learn the basics, or know the base features, just to set your expectations. And always try to find a good deal if you decide to purchase something. Money may not matter, but at least be wise enough to haggle, or hunt, for a lower price. As for boredom, there are a number of things that you can do to overcome it. One is regularly visiting here, or reading daily webcomics. I wrote a few tips about it and how to kill it, somewhat. And you are not limited to what you can do here. It doesn't matter if you want to do it or not, as long as you do it. And don't be afraid to try out new things. Getting around a block is easy. Finding out what causes it will need some time though. But the best way I can think of, IMHO, is to write about your block, which is obviously what I'm doing right now.