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Getting in a State - Hypnotherapy and Writer's Block
Think of a time when you found it easy to write, when the words flowed
and kept flowing, and you experienced the excitement of knowing you
were opening up new possibilities in your writing. What was the
experience like? How did you feel? What kind of images went through
your head? How did you hear the words as you wrote them down? What was
it that let you know your work was going well?
What difference would it make to your life if you could have more days
like that?
Now think of a time when things weren't going so well. Maybe a day when
you spent more time staring out of the window than writing. When
distractions seemed overwhelming, and the words just wouldn't come. Or
you kept finding excuses to leave your desk and attend to 'urgent'
chores. How did that feel? What was it like to lose sight of your work
in that way? What kind of things were you saying to yourself?
What difference would it make to your life if you had a way of escaping
from this state, of turning a day like this into a fluent, productive
day?
These two examples serve to illustrate a very basic point about the
writing process: if you are in the right frame of mind, you will write;
if not, you won't. Put like that, it seems so obvious it is hardly
worth remarking on. Yet much of the business of writing can be traced
to a struggle to access your 'optimum writing state', a struggle that
consumes much valuable time and energy. It therefore makes sense for a
writer to acquire some skill in the art of personal state management;
that is, in arranging his or her thoughts, feelings and sensations in
such a way that creative work becomes a reality, instead of a muddle of
half-formed intentions. Of course, this is something all writers have
to do by themselves, and many are highly skilled at it. But even among
those who are not currently experiencing difficulty with their output,
there must be very few who can honestly say they never have difficulty
motivating themselves, or finding the right 'way in' to a piece of
work.
While it is a matter of debate to what extent it is possible to teach
someone 'how to write', it is possible to offer coaching in state
management, and hypnotherapy is a powerful and creative means of doing
this. Through a systematic examination of a person's internal
experience while writing and attempting to write, and the use of
dynamic trancework, it enables her to access the state in which she
writes best; once you can do this, as every writer knows, the words
come by themselves. Because it works with the whole mind, unconscious
as well as conscious, it can allow an individual to connect with
powerful untapped resources, and changes can often be made in a
remarkably short time. Nobody makes a conscious decision to find
writing difficult - when it happens, it seems out of our control, like
the weather. And to an extent this is as it should be; it is the nature
of emotions that they do not fit neatly into predetermined schemes, and
nobody is going to come up with a foolproof formula for good writing.
Yet the mental obstacles encountered by a writer are essentially
self-generated, and result from an imbalance between his conscious
intention to express himself, and the unconscious patterns that are
holding him back. The use of hypnosis allows you to access and change
these patterns, to restore the balance between thought and feeling,
intention and action. To return to our two examples: on the first day,
the conscious and unconscious were working together; on the second they
were working against each other.
The theory is simple enough, but how can it hope to address the
idiosyncrasies of an individual talent? 'Writer's block', for instance,
is often discussed as if it were a readily identifiable pathological
condition, like measles or malaria. In fact, there is no such thing as
a typical 'writer's block'; the label covers a whole range of
experience, from occasional boredom or distraction through more
persistent frustration and consequent depression. There can be an
experience of 'feeling blocked', but the chances are that this will be
different for each person, just as each writer has his or her unique
experience of 'unblocked', flowing states. This is where advanced, or
Ericksonian, hypnotherapy is particularly effective. Based on the work
of the American hypnotherapist Milton H. Erickson, it addresses
problems in terms of the individual characteristics of each client,
rather than attempting to fit him or her into a rigid theoretical
model. Erickson pioneered the use of naturally occurring, everyday
trance states (such as those experienced while driving, at the cinema,
or in deep absorption while writing) as a means of entering into a
client's world. This approach ensures that any changes made are
congruent with the individual's personality and experience, rather than
being imposed from the outside by the hypnotist. It also means that two
people presenting with ostensibly the same problem might well be
treated using very different trance inductions and therapeutic methods.
Writing in an age when therapists frequently privileged their own
theories over their clients' experience and desires, Rilke refused
therapy because he was afraid of banishing the angels with the devils.
Advanced hypnotherapy, however, is about opening up new possibilities
for thought, feeling and expression, not taking them away. It works
with the natural flow of imagination, rather than trying to stem or
rechannel it in conformity with some psychological ideal. The process
begins by focussing on what changes the client wants to make, and the
therapist then works as a facilitator in the common pursuit of this
goal.
In many ways, this approach to hypnosis is similar to writing: both
disciplines use words to construct a meaningful and rewarding inner
reality; both draw their creative solutions from the same unconscious
source; and both work at an intimately individual level, teasing out
the potential of a unique gift. They also share a central concern with
metaphor; the unconscious frequently communicates through symbols, so
that in the course of hypnotic work elegant and effective metaphorical
solutions can suggest themselves. After all, 'writer's block' is a
metaphor - and who is in a better position to exploit a metaphor than a
writer?
Do you struggle with writer's block? Read my 10 Tips for overcoming writer's block or enquire about coaching for writer's block.
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Wishful Thinking is a coaching consultancy for creative professionals and the Creative Industries.
Based in London, Mark McGuinness works with individuals and companies across a wide range of media - including design, film, literature, advertising, music, acting, computer games, architecture, marketing, photography, fashion, TV and radio.
As a published poet with a track record of coaching and training for large and small organisations, I offer a unique blend of creative and business expertise. In addition to my coaching experience and professional qualifications I am nearing the end of a part-time MA in Creative and Media Enterprises at the University of Warwick.
Please ask if you'd like to discuss how I can help you realise your creative and commercial goals.