Unleash the Floodgates
Imagine a moment in history roughly 5.3 million years ago. For half a million years, the Mediterranean Sea was disconnected from the Atlantic Ocean that feeds it. The water didn’t just disappear; it evaporated, transforming what we now know as a massive body of water into a desert-y basin filled with soggy puddles and salt flats.
Then, something spectacular happened. A little stream broke through the land bridge between what is now Spain and Morocco. That tiny trickle became a massive deluge—the Zanclean flood, or megaflood. Water from the ocean rushed in with the ferocity of a billion feral hogs, reclaiming the Mediterranean for its watery dominion.
Geologically, events happening “fast” usually mean thousands of years. But the Zanclean flood may have occurred in the geological equivalent of a blink of an eye—a few years or months. Some estimates suggest the water level in the Eastern Mediterranean rose by 10 meters a day at times. When you picture a billion gallons of ocean water plowing through land to reshape a massive basin, it is undeniably a sight that demands awe.
This cosmic event, this ultimate ‘un-blocking’ in history, is a powerful metaphor. It makes you wonder about other moments of massive, transformative change. Perhaps there was a similar surge when the first cells buzzed into life, or when the first cells organized into a cute little network. The sheer imagery of that kind of force is unforgettable.
We can apply this scale of understanding to the realm of creativity. Have you ever felt stuck on a project? You have a brilliant idea, but something small holds you back from execution. Maybe it’s a song that demands recording, a forgotten password, or a nagging uncertainty about the third measure of a melody. These initial hurdles feel small, but they carry immense weight.
Over time, these small anxieties build and multiply. They grow to monstrous proportions in your mind, fueled by missed deadlines, fear, and perfectionism. They expand until they resemble the desiccated salt flats of an evaporated sea—a relentless barrier that stops your creative flow.
Your creative block is your personal Zanclean flood. It is a vast, overwhelming expanse of mental resistance. The solution isn’t just to identify the obstacle and remove it; it’s to recognize the flood-iness of the situation and decide that the effort is worth it.
The trick to managing this deluge lies in a simple process: identify the obstacle, then reduce it. Often, the obstacle isn’t a physical barrier, but discomfort. When a lesson or practice feels uncomfortable, it creates a negative association. By acknowledging this feeling, you can adjust your approach, reduce the pain, and let the momentum flow.
To make this process manageable, write it down. Writing forces your assumptions into the light, turning the vague, cloudy form of the block into clear, actionable steps. Turn the overwhelming task into a simple list: Step one, Step two, Step three. Suddenly, the path forward becomes clear.
Sometimes, you just need to sit down and do the thing. You don’t need a whole day; you need just 30 minutes. Recognize the Zanclean flood-iness of your creative time, and decide that it is perfectly okay to spend that time pulverizing an obnoxious land bridge instead of waiting for perfection. The entrance to the Mediterranean is sometimes called the Pillars of Hercules, a nod to the Herculean effort required to remove even a small obstacle.
So, what is the obstacle holding you back today? Take a piece of paper and write down every block. Then, choose the one that will have the greatest creative impact, and resolve it. The floodgates are ready to open.
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