There are days when the blank page is unforgiving.

No matter what the ideas refuse to light up the mind and the words refuse to trickle especially on the days when the mind is as dark as clouds in the sky.

There are many systems in place for such days but these two things never fail to get me going.

The long strolls with no destination in mind.

I think this one is very common and the most effective of the many systems to overcome the mental block.

One thing that the ship30 for 30 cohort taught me well is to never stare at an empty page. The templates and the different techniques that I learnt throughout the August cohort helped me immensely to stay consistent. It is one of the most prolific methods I have come across for any writer.

When I found myself struggling to come to terms with my writing and how the words weren't reflecting my ideas in their core form, I felt lost. The solution though came in its most natural form.

The long walks that were mostly filled with purpose turned into a vacant exercise to clear my mind.

The result was that the mind got rid of the many conflicting thoughts regarding the ideas that floated in my head and replaced it with a simple stream of thoughts. The city and its picturesque landscape helped a lot.

The streets are filled with experiences and memories to be captured.

The vacant mind on the long strolls began to wander on its own.

The scenic beauty and the personality of the city added to the experience and instantly I felt the need to capture the moments. Hence, the vacant walk was filled with bouts of photography.

No matter if it is the latest mobile phone or a simple camera, clicking a picture demands you to slow down and grasp the moment in its raw essence. There is no rushing and there is no clutter. A picture speaks a lot about the state of the mind of the photographer.

It is a surreal experience to let simple moments encapsulate a struggling state of mind.

The walk with the camera turned into a lifesaver for the struggling writer in me.