“Plumbers don’t have plumber’s block” says Seth Godin when he’s talking about writer’s block. His point isn’t that plumbers don’t have obstacles or resistance as Steven Pressfield calls it. It’s that many writers stop writing when they experience it, and plumbers work through it and overcome their blocks.

This spring, I experienced plumber’s block twice. Honestly, I’m a far better writer than I am a plumber, but I’m dangerously fearless in DIY projects.

Plumber’s Block #1. I replaced the shower head on a shower that hadn’t been used in years. With everything connected, I turned the water back on, but there was not water. I thought it must be the diverter, so I changed that. Still no water. Out of ideas, I called in the professionals. Turns out, the new shower head was defective. Professional experience helped me overcome this block.

Plumber’s Block #2. I replaced the washers and springs in a single handle faucet. I couldn’t get the screw that holds the handle in place to thread correctly. I lost my temper. I was convince I had stripped the threads. This time, I took a break. I needed time to cool down and think. I thought to clean the threads with some WD40 and Q-Tip. Worked like a charm.

Blocks happen everywhere. Not having running water in these two circumstances was not an option. Many times, writing is optional. Want to work through writer’s block, make not writing not an option.