Becoming The Muse

Guest Post

THE WRITER’S DILEMMA

The scariest thing that can ever happen to a creative is losing their passion for what they love doing. Regardless of the form of art one participates in, whether writing, drawing, or singing, it’s a very scary thought to not be able to reach into the depths of your heart and produce magic.

In 2020, I wrote and co-directed a documentary: Dream Built On A Nightmare portraying the life of young coffin makers in the heart of the capital of Zambia, Lusaka. I did it because that’s my passion; I love telling stories and I love writing. In the years that followed, I tried to recreate that passion and that drive, but I always seemed to come short of the creativity that I once possessed. I couldn’t write a script, or at least a script I thought was good enough for television.

In 2021, I realized that I was going through the worst creative block (or as writers like to put it) writer’s block, I had ever experienced in my adult life. At that moment, I realized why artists take forever to release new albums. It’s hard work to be creative, especially when you consciously try to be.

Shortly after that, I realized that I was not only going through a writer’s block, but I was going through the fear of losing my creativity. What if my previous success was mere luck or as people in music put it, “a one-hit wonder?” Well, calling it a hit was generous, or so I thought.

Last year, I found my passion again. Creativity comes to you when you least expect it, and in no time, I had another idea and script for a documentary. I found that to be odd because I had tried for two years to reignite my passion and creativity with no luck, but there I was with a full script in less than two hours.

In hindsight, the more I tried to recreate the magic of the previous years, the more the magic of the present year eluded me. My creative block was best solved by not trying. This is not a tip I would give to people in academia. I believe that sometimes you have to start, and the creativity will somehow find you along the way, but this seems to be the general rule, and my case was an exception. I defeated my writer’s block by relaxing and thinking about other things.

This is a short blog, but I would be wasting an opportunity to pass on a valuable lesson to the reader if I ended the blog by saying that was the end of my story. After getting my enthusiasm and passion back, I worked nonstop on my nonprofit, called the Heal Organization. I wrote for a newspaper, wrote guest blogs, and even spoke at a number of events.

However, as I type this, I feel my old friend has come back to haunt me.

The very thing that stopped me from writing for two years is back at my doorstep. I’m scared that he might enter, but would that be such a bad thing? Perhaps he’ll give me the much-needed rest I’ll need to take on a new challenge, to emerge from the fire a new and passionate creative.

But before that, one more article, one more blog.

Before I let him in, I want to try one more trick. I want to fight him with everything I have in me. But when he does eventually catch up to me, I’ll rest assured knowing I’ll make a comeback, and so will you.

Get your rest when he comes knocking. Maybe it’s not writer’s block; maybe you’re burnt out, but that’s a topic for another day. For now, find your muse and keep writing.

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About The Author

Zambu Sakala is a final year law student and the Co- founder of the Heal Organization, an organization that aims at raising awareness on mental health. Zambu Sakala is also a script Writer, he wrote and co directed the documentary “dreams built on a nightmare” a documentary that showed the life of young coffin makers in Chaisa, Zambia.

Zambu is a Pan African and believes in the corporation of African youth towards the betterment of our continent.

Heal organization: www.healorganization.org
Documentary: Dreams Built On A Nightmare– https://youtu.be/bWxU-a6psJc
Twitter: @zambusakala_