Welcome back to the Blog!

As we are heading in to the middle of the semester (so close to the end as Nadia pointed out last week!) we might be finding ourselves with a pile of work that is begging for our attention. This, along with the days off from class due to the holiday schedule, might feel a bit difficult to tackle with any real intention – let’s talk about it.

For us majoring in English or related fields, writers block can feel deadly at this time of the semester. Writers block brings just as much trouble for the critical essay as it does for the poem – don’t let any Professor try to train you out of treating all your writing as a creative work! But what to do when the weather is getting bitter, and your routine is feeling anything but consistent? What if the words don’t want to come out?

There is some merit in digging in and just doing it regardless of a lack of inspiration and confidence in your work. That’s character building that is. And while I do find some painful triumph from scraping words together from the bottom of the barrel, I also believe in this one other method I would love to impart to you all: let it go.

Find other spaces of joy and inspiration that have nothing to do with school and spend some time in them. Not too much time, of course, deadlines still exist, but there’s no use waiting at a dry well, drink when you’re thirsty!

That being said, here are some small moments of not work that might help spark some inspiration, contemplation, or joy that can help get you back to your focused academic world:

The first is the Spring/Summer 2020 Issey Miyake Show. New design director of the brand, Satoshi Kondo, makes use of movement in the body and dress to slide away from the drab of current trends and through the art of play, dances into a place of joy. Watch some highlights below:

Here is Kondo on his on inspiration for the collection: “While I love fashion and the industry as a whole, what drew me to design is this very Japanese idea of clothing the body. Every morning, like most people, I wake up, take a shower and stand in front of my wardrobe and think: ‘Well, what shall I wear today?’ The joy that can be found in this ritual of getting dressed every day, of finding an outfit that can make you happy for the whole day — that’s what inspires me. I want to create collections that emulate that joy.“

The Second is this little short animated film by Jérémy Clapin. It’s a mix of emotions; creepy, sweet, tender, and terrible — a mix I like to see explored when I’m feeling a little uninspired. Take a peek below.

The Third is C.S Lewis’s a Grief Observed which, while depressing AF, masterfully discusses all the shit that comes with grief. I find his vulnerability and language on the death of his soulmate beautiful. I’m always inspired by those attempting to answer the answerable, as Lewis does here.

And Finallllyyyyyy it could be just sitting in your living room and naming objects, thinking about their names and how strange they are. Like, doesn’t acetaminophen sound like it could easily be a spell from Harry Potter?

Hopefull some of these have sparked some level of movement in your mind to get past any writers block you may be feeling.

Moving on to Announcements:

  • If you’re a transfer student with a GPA above 2.75 looking to do a cool project with a professor this Spring, look into the The Mellon Undergrad Student Transfer Program and talk with a professor ASAP about your interests! Deadline for application is Nov. 26th!
  • There will be no classes October 8, 9, and 14.
  • The Nasty Women Unite Fest is happening October 26th and 27th! Each show will focus on a central theme inspired by a branch of the United States Government, including the unofficial fourth branch – The People! Check out my Girl Shani Rosemary’s art piece What Do You See at the Justice show at 3pm on the 26th!

That’s it from me friends! Have a fantastic week full of sweaters and empty of writers block!

Mary Seeburger