New paths

I’m back from three relaxing weeks with my family, the guitar, and some inspiring books.

And a fascinating interview with Paul Simon, recorded shortly after Simon & Garfunkel released Bridge over Troubled Water.

Simon speaks about a crucial moment in the writing process for the song.

It’s a moment you’ve surely experienced yourself.

The moment of being stuck.

Dick Cavett, the interview host, asked him what that meant. Simon’s answer is brilliant (at the 7:15 mark):

Everywhere I went led me where I didn’t wanna be. So I was stuck.

I’m pretty sure you’ve had that feeling. I certainly did. While working on an idea, a project. And certainly while crafting a presentation.

That moment is rarely solved by staring harder at the page. When every path you try leads to places you don’t wanna be, the next step might not be to think harder.

But to step away.

The same inputs produce the same outputs. To get unstuck you often need a spark from the outside.

A story. A sound. A question from someone who sees things differently.

That’s not weakness. It is how new paths appear.

Through the outside. Through Inspiration. And sometimes through the help of others.

How do you get unstuck?

Keep lighting the path!