You know how it is. Someone’s name is completely gone. You have no recollection of why you walked into the kitchen. You have to check how to spell a word that usually flows easily. Mental blanks. Little gaps that stop us, can embarrass us, make us feel a bit silly.
I’m wondering, though, can a mental blank last longer than a few moments or minutes. I’m not talking about illnesses, or the challenges some face with ageing. I’m talking about a common mental blank that lasts days, or months, or years.
As you know, I write poetry – or I used to. I have had a complete blank for what seems like an age. It’s not that I’ve been writing and it’s rubbish. It’s not that I’ve retreated to dabbling. There is simply nothing there. I don’t see things in the world the way I did. They aren’t the same fodder for words.
It’s an enormous mental blank but I’m trying not to worry. A mental blank passes, doesn’t it? It’s just funny that some switch got flicked to turn poetry off. I have confidence it will flick back, though. All good. Patience.
So, what was I saying just now?
Until later,
Kirsten
Everyday Thoughts of an Artist 