Writing

Inspiration is habit based.

May 11, 2025 jacquelineobyikocha2 Comments

Writer’s block occurs when we lose the habit of writing waiting on inspiration to hit us so that we can come up with a blockbuster and an unputdownable creative piece. I have come to understand that it is simply not so. Writing is like every other skill and craft that requires practice. The more you do it, the better you become at it. Waiting on your writing muse to visit you with creative thoughts might mean waiting forever and the longer it takes to work on your skills, the further away you are from your writer’s dreams.

Just as we need to make time for those things that are important to us, we equally need to make time for our crafts, if we have any aspiration of it/them becoming a worthwhile venture. My biggest struggle has always been creating substantial time to get to work on my various writing and art projects ‘cos working fulltime and balancing other aspects of my life especially the creative part is most definitely not as easy as one would expect.

By the end of the day, I am mentally exhausted that the thought of putting thoughts on paper or computer seems almost herculean. Being a morning person, my first waking up hours are spent trying to get in some snatches of exercise, prayer and hurrying off to work, then my break time/lunch time is used up tried to quickly curate a video or two for my social media platforms. Sometimes, I wonder if I am ever going to find that wonderful chunk of time on a daily basis that would help me to cultivate a stable writing routine.

This post is an attempt to put my thoughts into words.

On the other hand, with the plethora of AI apps popping up every single day and with people resorting to AI to generate eBooks, this and that, what do you think the future looks like for writing professionals?

Pissing In The Same Spot…

October 30, 2024 jacquelineobyikochaLeave a comment

In no way am I an ‘Expert On Life Matters’ and I am doubtful if anyone with such a befitting title exists. We all have our life’s lessons that we’ve learnt on our paths, but the essence of interacting with each other as we go along, is to learn from our experiences.

Enlightenment comes from learning. Learning comes from communicating and communicating is the most essential back bone of all relationships.

Like I always believe, each person has something to bring to the table and in my place, we have a funny proverb that says that ‘when we gather together to piss in the same spot, it foams.’

There are a thousand and one things that I have personally learnt from others just by reading their thoughts and perspectives and each day, it simply gets better. There are lots of free resources and wise counsel that others have put together which you can avail yourself to, but also be willing to add something to the pissing pot.

Don’t just be a sponge that soaks in without adding value. Your value could be from sharing, encouraging remarks, appreciation etc. We all can do it together, because life is definitely not a journey that you can walk all by yourself. As my people will also say, if you want to go fast you go alone, but if you want to go far, you go with others.

©Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha – From my archives.

Blog · Life · Photographs · The Daily Post

Zooming By Through The Years….

February 25, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha23 Comments

There are really some days that I wish that time is not an intangible object, but something that could be adjusted to fit one’s purpose through the years.

There are days that my to do list is as tall as my 5 ft 11″ if not taller and there is insufficient time to get it all done in one day. There is so much to do and so little time.

Sometimes I sincerely wish that these years will go at a snail pace, so that I will have enough time to savour those I love through the years.

You wake up in the morning and before you turn around it’s evening and the day has just flown past, which is why the phrase of making hay while the Sun shines never fails to reverberate in my mind.

Even if you refused to make the hay, time will still zoom by and the bales of hay to be made still awaits you.

I can remember when I was a small girl which seems like yesterday, and people in their thirties seemed ancient to me.

I can never forget a would be suitor *arranged marriage* that came seeking for my hand when I was barely 18. He was a doctor in his 30’s residing in Italy and I can still recall my horror at the thought of marrying someone who was possibly my fathers age.

Now, here I am, older, wiser, yet still very young in my head at times.

Sometimes, I do nothing, but just ponder over the essence of time and life.

Would I wake up one day and find that I have been dreaming my life all along?

Ever since my sense of how fast time goes by became acute, I try to make each day count, live in each moment and get the best that I can out of it.

With the conscious reality that the best things in life are for free, the onus rests on me to endeavour to enjoy these best things as much as life makes available to me.

There is no time to spend over inane issues. We can’t stop time, but we can embrace what we have and be the pilot’s of our given moments.

The Daily Post Pace Oddity

If you could slow down an action that usually zooms by, or speed up an event that normally drags on, which would you choose, and why?