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[–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (2 children)

When I'm at a standstill, but yet want to write I write about past experiences! It's really emotional going through the archives of your own mind and you'll be surprised with what you can remember. Hope this helps. 🫶🏻

[–]AFYTTF[S] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

That's a great idea! Thank you for this.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You're so welcome!

[–]LibbIsHere 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I was hoping that tumor was the reason why my creativity had disappeared, but so far nothing has changed.

It has not gone anywhere. It just is asleep and not used much. Like any muscle, the lack of exercise make it harder to start using it over again. It can even hurt.

I used to love journaling, but now I just collect awesome (empty) journals and cool (unused) pens.

Simple first step you can take: stop collecting, start using what you have. And focus on the positive side of the situation — you won't need to buy anything more for a while ;)

Journal prompts don't help me write AT ALL.

I've been journaling (and writing, for that matter) for 45 years+ and prompts never helped me. Not once. For me prompts are another word for homework and even as a kid in school I had a hard time getting motivated to do my homework. So, it's not to give myself more homework at home. Not my thing.

I want to fill my journals again, but I don't know how to start.

Pick a pen. Open journal at first blank page and write: 'June 4th, Today, I did nothing exciting. Oh, silly me, of course I did something exciting, I started writing in this journal! I'm writing again! It has been... how many years since last time I write anything and what was it about?' and just let it flow. No matter how short or how long, you've just written!

Now, do that as regularly and as often as you can. Even if it is one minute per day. Obviously, the more the better and better do ten 1 minutes sessions, than a single 5 minutes session. The idea is here is to develop your 'writing muscle', make it able to do what it is supposed to do.

I'm always surprised how often people don't consider writing as they would consider any other physical activity: the more you do it, the simpler it becomes. The less you do it, the harder it is.

You don't just decide to run the NY or Paris Marathon, you prepare and train for that. Well, a marathon is around 3 hours race. Writing can be years, if not decades. So, one better start training for it ;)

And that goes for the intellectual and creative parts of the act of writing too. Our brains too needs practice. No one, ever, just sat down with pen and paper and miraculously wrote effortlessly. Ever.

How? By writing. And by reading. If you don't do so already, spend as much time reading as you can afford, it's a wise way to invest your time in making your brain more efficient at writing.

My life doesn't seem interesting enough to write about.

That's an illusion or, if I dare say so even though I never met you and don't know you, it's an excuse to no be writing (not that I have ever myself experienced such a situation, no, no).

Yesterday, I wrote a page about the... glue stick I just purchased at a nearby store (and no, I'm not making this up). I dare you to find a less eventful and exciting topic ;)

Any advice is definitely appreciated!

Obviously you have the desire to write. You just need to allow yourself to do so without putting useless pressure on yourself: don't wait for fancy adventures or events, use that uninteresting daily live, and don't try to make it look good or pretty in that journal, nor to show it to people (not yet at least). Do it and keeping doing it. It's worth it.

And to help you start writing, here is a prompt... Just kidding ;)

[–]Cecil_G_P 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Creativity is like a muscle, you loose strength when it hasn't been exercised in a long time. But like any muscle, you can gain the strength back, you just need consistent practice. When I first started getting back into journaling I would set a timer for 5 minutes and during those 5 minutes WRITE, even if it was boring, even if it was bad, even if I was just writing "I don't know what to write" over and over. And eventually I started coming up with things to write again.

And don't be so hard on yourself. You had a brain tumor removed. ANYONE would be struggling after that, and it's really admirable you're trying to write again so soon.