On Inspiration

The funny thing about inspiration, I'm noticing, is that the more I write, the more inspired I am.

I'm easing into summer break (time off from teaching/the day job), so naturally my afternoon writing sprints have picked up. I'm not writing late at night (when I'm exhausted) anymore, and I no longer have to wait for weekends to get any real work done.

I think I've written somewhere around 20k words these last three weeks, and even though I've outlined and I'm keeping notes, I'm also giving myself permission to deviate as inspiration hits.

And it does hit. Every day I sit down to write with the intention of getting at least 1000 new words on the page. And because I'm totally immersed in this story, it doesn't seem so hard to pick up where I left off.

So it does kind of prove that theory that's floating around: if you sit down and start writing, inspiration is more likely to strike.

(It beats the hell out of piddling around waiting for those "lightning" moments to happen, that's for sure.)

I'm not pretending these words are golden--it's a first draft, after all, and there's plenty of work left to be done. But I like the idea that if we show up and do the work, the magic will happen.

That is all.

~Katie~

Ray Bradbury on Critics

“Those who don't build must burn.”

-Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

~:|:~

The takeaway?

You build things, or you tear them down.

You make things, or you don't.

The one will never understand the other.

If you get to choose: Build.

It's so much better than burning. 

  

~K~

Ray Bradbury on Creativity (Part 2)

“Stand at the top of a cliff and jump off and build your wings on the way down.”

-Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

~:|:~

 
The takeaway?

Don't wait until you're "ready."
There is no "ready."
Take the risk.
Learn to let go.
Learn as you go.
Trust your instincts.
Amaze yourself.

~K~

Ray Bradbury on Creativity (Part 1)

"Everyone must leave something behind when he dies. . . . Something your hand touched someway so your soul has somewhere to go when you die. . . . It doesn't matter what you do . . . so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like you after you take your hands away." 

–Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

~:|:~

The takeaway?

Make things.

Make things that make the world a better place. 

Leave something for us. 

Something that matters.

A place where we can find you long after you're gone.

~K~