Something I have noticed in myself and in other writers who hold large ambitions: We start out a writing project with a sense of verve and inspiration. Everything comes easily. And then later at some point, things slow down. Inspiration turns into obligation. It feels like drudgery. Just another thing you have to do. This… Continue reading Inspiration’s Death Spiral Into Obligation
Category: traits to embody
The Essentialist Secret to Productive Writing
Minimalism is about paring things down to the minimum — minimum elements, clean sleek minimal design. Essentialism is similar but different. It’s about “less but better.” In Greg McKeown’s book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, he lays out the core essentialist mindset. 1. Individual choice: We can choose how to spend our energy and… Continue reading The Essentialist Secret to Productive Writing
Freewriting is Like Planting Seeds
Imagination is the Divine Body in Every Man William Blake When you freewrite, you wander the imagination stomping or treading lightly, each step a word. As you step, your feet collect tiny seeds and track them from place to place. Your every action while in the realm of imagination plants seeds. And it is not… Continue reading Freewriting is Like Planting Seeds
Abolish All Trace of Toxic Small-Mindedness
Set your goals high [bctt tweet=”Thinking too small, we miss the juiciest opportunities and fail to engage our creative fire.”] What poses as prudence or basic fundamental wisdom or practicality is often the precise thing that keeps us from getting what we want. People say not to set your goals too high or to “underpromise… Continue reading Abolish All Trace of Toxic Small-Mindedness
What “Beginner’s Mind” Offers the Writer
A university professor went to visit a famous Zen master. While the master quietly served tea, the professor talked about Zen. The master poured the visitor’s cup to the brim, and then kept pouring. The professor watched the overflowing cup until he could no longer restrain himself. “It’s full! No more will go in!” the… Continue reading What “Beginner’s Mind” Offers the Writer