The Yips

Even writers get them

In case you're not familiar with the term, here are a few video examples:

Ted Lasso

How I Met Your Mother

Stick

(Ok, sorry, fair reader, the last one is just the trailer for the show on AppleTV, because it's so new that there isn't a clip of them talking about the yips online yet. ... But it's a really good show, and if you like Ted Lasso, you'll like this one too. You just have to trust me that they talk about it 😉 )

And in case you're not a video person, here is a Slate article about the yips, and here's a good one about how Ted Lasso brought to light a very real mental health conversation that needs to happen.

But basically, the idea is that someone gets too much in their head and has trouble doing something that they can normally do/is part of their job, etc. Of course there can be a lot of reasons for someone getting caught in the yips, but the key is that a lot of times, it's really difficult to get yourself out by yourself. 

So why the heck am I talking about the yips anyway? 

For a while now I've been trying to decide how to describe the kind of writing coaching support I've started doing and really enjoy. I feel like when most people think about an editor, they're thinking about someone who comes in and just "cleans up" their writing—typos, grammatical stuff, formatting maybe... And I do do that, too. But it's not what really lights me up. 

Since working with a couple PhD candidates who were in a stuck-point with their dissertations, I realized I really liked doing that kind of work, but I had been struggling with how to describe what it was I was doing with them, without going into all the details about the specifics. Then this week I was talking to my mentor about a new client and, maybe because I had recently seen the episode of Stick, I called it "the yips." As I noticed myself using the word, I realized that was actually a great descriptor for the kind of situations where I feel like I can be most helpful.

As I've talked to some other clients who have remarked that working with me has helped strengthen their pieces, I realized that even on a smaller scale, much of what I like doing with writers is helping them with things like making their writing more concise, flow better, or meet a new set of criteria or feedback. While not exactly the yips, oftentimes it's when a writer just can't see the piece anymore, for having looked at it for so long and intensely. 

Like a therapist, a good editor or writing coach can help a writer look at their writing from a new perspective or share tools to help get you out of your own head and back into a place where you can create again. We know that the ability and the desire is still in there, but maybe someone just needs help finding their way to it and maybe a safer space to explore whatever might be hindering the process.

⇔

One of the downsides to being a creative person, in whatever area (sports, arts, business...), can be that we tend to question not only the "accepted truths"—which makes us creatives in the first place—but also our own processes, products, and thoughts. The "shadow side" of creativity, if you will. I really think this is where we get the image of the tortured artist, where the most notable ways that they find to deal with this aspect are ones that are ultimately destructive. But we can recognize what's happening and find more instructive and constructive ways to work through the difficulties. 

And by being able to find ways to more positively explore the shadows, we can plumb the depths of our creativity that can support having a fulfilling life and relationships with others that don't depend on abuse of ourselves or others. We can deepen our practices and our appreciation for our gifts and talents while also paying attention to the needs of others around us, experiencing and interacting with the world in ways that provide opportunities for everyone to get better.

Yeah, that got deep in a way I wasn't expecting....

But I really do think it's true: when we have a good relationship with our work and lives as creatives, we are more able to channel that power in productive ways in lots of areas of our lives. And I want to be a part of that work, for individuals and for the world in general. As I've written on my website, the relationships I've built as part of my work are the most important to me. How they've come about is less my focus, whether it was through my work as an editor, teacher, advisor, or Target coworker.

I've been lucky to have worked with and gotten to know some incredibly talented people in my life, and helped them see, prioritize, and polish their work. I'm only now learning how to see my own work. I'm grateful that I've had the opportunities, resources, and people to also help me be able to look and see--for myself and for others.