Lately, I have been struggling with something of a writer’s block. But what better way to deal with that than writing about it, right?

I am in uncharted territory after coming out of the gate strong more than two years ago, penning at least a few columns a month talking about my experiences as a photojournalist, newspaper general manager and now publisher. Over the last 30-plus years of shooting, I experienced what I thought were photo slumps. Times where I struggled to find good feature photos or missed the game-winning high school football touchdown or the jubilation photo after a buzzer beater at Diddle Arena.

The transition from capturing images to crafting compelling prose has proven to be a challenging one for me. I started off sharing my experiences covering the community and stories poking fun at myself over the years. But now, I face a blank page, the once-flowing stream of ideas seems to have run dry. The blank page is not just an empty space; it’s a chasm that seems to widen with each passing hour.

The irony of the situation is not lost on me. I used to effortlessly turn moments into visual narratives, effortlessly framing my subjects with an artist’s eye. I am consoled in knowing that I am not alone in this struggle. Every storyteller, at some point, encounters the blank page or the empty canvas.

According to writing expert Mike Rose, writer’s block can be defined as: “the inability to begin or continue writing for reasons other than a lack of basic skill or commitment.” He continues by stating that writer’s block can be measured by intervals in which writers unsuccessfully attempt to put something on paper while experiencing little or no meaningful engagement whatsoever. Just about every writer has suffered from writer’s block at one time or another, but especially as deadlines draw closer.”

Feelings of frustration and anger start to boil to the top when I stare blankly at that blinking cursor for too long. I have thought of this as a journey and a learning experience, but considering my lack of patience with myself, I am not really enjoying this part of my journey too much. To make matters worse, the deadline of this column is coming up. As always, much quicker than I anticipated.

Now that I am the publisher of eight papers in two time zones in Kentucky, I have hours of windshield time to think, fret and worry about what to write about next. I have run through story idea after story idea pulled from my misspent youth and hazy college days. Every idea I landed on would be too incriminating, not appropriate for the paper or better served up as a few chapters in book, likely titled “Fear and Loathing in Bowling Green.”

I have been blessed with a several folks who have stopped by the office to drop off their own story ideas or thoughts on what I should write. Quite a few of them are pretty good but require a little research and time that is in short supply right now. My goal is to get that research done and put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard.

In the end, it’s not just about overcoming the block but about rediscovering the joy and passion that initially drove me to my creative journey. With time, patience, and a bit of experimentation, the words will flow once more, and the stories waiting to be told will find their way into the light.

So, as I sit down to tackle next week’s column, I remind myself that the stories of Bowling Green – the voices that bring them to life – are always worth the effort.

– Daily News Publisher Joe Imel can be reached at (270) 783-3273 or via email at joe.imel@ bgdailynews.com.