Creativity takes practice, which is why people say “You should write every day” (or draw or sculpt or dance or play the tuba every day). There’s an understandable emphasis on consistency, on showing up again and again to do the thing, whatever it is. On working steadily, even if it’s slowly, so that, like the tortoise, we can cross the finish line. Even creativity guru Julia Cameron says so.
Continue reading Doing The Thing Every Day — GentlyCategory: Writing
What Does Effective Persistence Look Like?
There’s lots of advice out there to persist, to keep trying, that no one gets anywhere without working regularly. Take … More What Does Effective Persistence Look Like?
What Held Tolkien Back: Perfectionism or Paper?
I recently came across an interesting diagram that shows various statistics about thirty famous books, including how long it took … More What Held Tolkien Back: Perfectionism or Paper?
4 Creative Truths Tolkien Understood
Writers, dancers, painters, and musicians all have something to teach us about how create. That’s why I read my way … More 4 Creative Truths Tolkien Understood
Waiting for Inspiration: A Bad Idea
We want our creative work to be fast and easy. Inspiration is the word we use for the magical shortcut. But is it worth the wait?