Every four months or so, after consistent disciplined writing or editing, I’ll fall into what looks like a “two week Minecraft phrase.” Many writers enjoy gaming through writer’s block as a way to re-fill their creative wellsprings. And for women, especially for myself, the menstrual cycle brings its own challenges to the creative process. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that any woman writer shouldn’t write every day of the week anymore than she’d like to bleed every day of the week. Creative productivity expends creative energy. And there is as much truth to producing and resting and refilling around one’s biological reproductive cycle as much as there is to productivity around the four seasons of the solar year.
Minecraft is my go-to game. Nostalgia. Familiarity. The sandbox aspect. My phase doesn’t come with the urge to start a new world. I have a forever world. But periodically, my creative tank goes dry and the options for refilling it include: outdoor activities, reading books in my genre, switching to another form of expression like painting or music. But sometimes I slip into that typical INFJ depression. There’s the Ni-Ti loop and its delightful rumination. My muses are silent, the novel’s world feels dark like all the lights went out and everyone parted ways.
The Ni-Ti loop is where an INFX’s primary function Introverted intuition and tertiary function Introverted thinking lead to paranoia, complexes, overthinking, social isolation, and detachment from reality. Many INFJs know they need outside input, which can be had when you have a heart to heart with a friend or family member. But INFJs have had to be highly emotionally self-sufficient and are prone to self-isolation. If they’ve asked for help or for someone’s time, the slightest hesitation from the other party reinforces the INFJ’s tendency to believe that no one is coming to help them. And they’ll likely never ask that person again.
I often find myself in that same position. I don’t want to self isolate. I also don’t want to burden my friends with my needs. I do hope that someone will help me get out of the loop, but I find that I have to do it alone. During the spring, garden therapy helps. Getting hands in soil while the birds are singing on a sunny day is a great way to stop overthinking. But only so long as I’m gardening. The moment my tasks are done, the loop fires back up. So when my outdoor chores are done, my husband and parrot have been fed and nurtured, and I just don’t feel like reading, I’ll find myself opening Minecraft for the first time in months
Minecraft hits because it’s a game I can drop for long periods without losing my bearings. Opening that forever world is like returning home, escaping to a place that rejuvenates and refreshes.
Then the spatial aspect. Navigating biomes, exploring caves, mineshafts, and structures is oddly relaxing. I go inside another 3D reality and do simple, almost mindless tasks.
This shuts down the Ni-Ti loop very quickly. Loneliness and emotional isolation fades away. The mind and body relax… even when a creeper explodes behind me. That elicits a laugh.
I recently got the urge to pop into random servers for the thrill of it. I wanted to drop in on a couple of close friends, help them with whatever virtual project they were working on without any real investment, and then move on to the next server. I call this my “Wayfaring Stranger” urge. The “Wandering Good Samaritan.” One evening when I was particularly disappointed that no one in my “in the flesh” social circle had offered to do a one on one date with me, I took the plunge with a completely random vanilla survival server. It ended up being MCSB Vanilla.
There were two players and the admin present. They said “Hi” and I explored the town at spawn a while before falling into an RTP (random teleportal) and being swept thousands of blocks out into a jungle biome. In a few minutes of digging I stumbled across a mineshaft and as more players hopped on the chat got busier. Everyone was friendly and it felt safe and fun to be chilling with strangers, virtually. I wasn’t known, neither was I known deeply. I was more anonymous than with anyone in my real life. But I felt held.
I never noticed my mind lull into the blissful rhythm of Minecraft engagement. I had no idea of how long I was going to stay or if I’d hop to another server in a few minutes. I was just existing for a moment, as if in a virtual cafe, unsure if I wanted to order from the menu and eat a while, or find another place to exist. But when bedtime came and I logged off, and I hit my pillow, I realized how quiet and calm my mind was. How I looked back at the day as full, vibrant, so much accomplished.
And I was reminded that my perception of loneliness was a bit of a smokescreen. It was my reality. But it was not quite a true reality. And something about the solitude of a Minecraft world, the depopulated potential, and the camaraderie of having other players in the chat is a bit of therapy in its own way.
After about six hours of this, split across two separate evenings, I began to mentally return to my characters and my WIP. I felt inspired to compose a scene for a wildlife oil painting. And as the real sun’s light filtered through my office window, I told the server chat that I was hopping off for now, gave my well wishes to the other players, and picked up my sketchbook.
The sandbox will wait. There’s no obligation to return until I’m ready. Minecraft’s development team might launch a fun new update, but the game’s mechanics will be the same. Tranquil and holistic. Endless spatial 3D. With blocks and textures so simple, the brain can’t possibly overthink.
Is Minecraft a helpful motivational or anti-writer’s block tool for you too? What does your playing style look like and how long does it take your creative energy to return?
About Laurisa Brandt
Independent Press and NYC Big Book Award Winning Author Laurisa Brandt writes immersive, character-focused speculative fiction balanced with rich world building and romantic subplot. While her novels embrace darker themes she aspires to offer readers hope and a bit of humor. Read More >>
