To my fellow bloggers - The cure for "writer's block"

This may come as a shock to many of you but the act of writing mere jokes on a semi-daily basis actually takes some effort. Sometimes I struggle with trying to find how certain ideas mesh with each other. Of course, there is always the self-doubt that what I produce may suck or not be funny or poignant and I'm ok with that. I've learned to accept the fact that my "creation" may not be all that ground breaking but I strive to de several things in my writings: 1- I try to find humor in a current event. 2- I try to add an element of truth to a joke. 3- I try to be original. Right now, I'm sort of a regular contributor to the NY Times Humor blog also called "Laughlines". There are other very funny and creative writers that submit material to the NY Times hoping that their joke is selected. It is very competitive to get chosen but I purposely DO NOT read what others have submitted so as to not be influenced by what they have said. This has proven to be fruitful as my jokes are chosen on a regular basis. Sometimes I submit material that gets overlooked and I have learned to keep on keeping on. This reminds me of an open mike at a coffe shop called the "Gypsey Den" in Santa Ana, CA . Once a week, musicians play their hearts out. Not because they are receiving fame or money or even much recognition. They play because they enjoy it. Likewise, I write in this blog because I get a certain pleasure from creating jokes. Also, it's cheaper that paying for a shrink. I enjoy the intellectual challenge of finding that grain of humor/truth in current events. Sometimes, the ideas come easily. Othertimes, I get stuck and I'm not feeling it. When that happens, I simply let go. Creativity is a very elusive thing and there is a delicate dance that occurs. On the one hand if you always rely on "inspiration", you may get lazy and not put in the work. On the otherhand, if you "force" something, the end result may be lacking in that "it". I believe that there is a happy medium that exists. Do the work but if you ain't feeling it, you may need to take a step back. This is the reason, I may decide to skip a day or two for a posting. I'm trying to avoid giving my readers bad service. I read a good poem by Bukowski that really captures my belief about writing and about creativity in general. I hope it serves a purpose for you. The main message is the same message delivered by The Beatles: Let it Be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbuatcBm75o&feature=related