I needed this hahah because I’ve definitely fell victim to the “I’m getting distracted and I need to focus” mindset. I’m a writer but a creative in general and I have ideas for so many things. I’ve had visions to start a faith-based clothing line so maybe I’ll actually work towards launching it this year 🤔
Couldn't agree with you more Kern: get out of your comfort zone man !
Do not be chained to your desk writing all day. Break up your day man with new sources of inspiration. Did you know as a profession, writers a lowest paid ! So by spending hours writing your earning rate is declining rapidly like slave wages, unless of course you have big hit, big advance LOL.
I did not want to be bored during the COVID lock downs. So I decided do study Mandarin online. I chose a challenging language, why choose something easy? to be engrossed in to avoid all that 24/7 global news about the pandemic.
Three years later with more follow up courses, to my surprise, I have a natural ability with languages. I may travel to China to do some landscape photography; speaking like a native speaker - you have more access that tourists do not have.
So I plan this year to write a short story in Mandarin and some poetry in the Tang Dynasty style tradition. I also want to continue after taking in some introductory cultural courses: 书法 Shūfǎ, calligraphy, and 山水画 Shānshuǐhuà, landscape painting.
Kern! If only I had counted the number of times I said “yes” or “exactly” as I read this piece. I know all to well about thinking of my work through the “traditional” lens. Seeing much of what I’ve done as adjacent to--as you put it well, a distraction from--the writing career I’m meant to aspire to as defined by tradition.
I’m learning to embrace all the work--from editing at all kinds of levels to copy writing to ghost writing and sundry projects in between--as not less than but a brilliant part of my writing life and career! And this post spoke to that so much. Thank you!!
Thanks also for asking about a new idea. I’m putting one into practice next month--just announced in a post today. What timing to find your work!
I’m offering I workshops developed based on applying to my own work the perspective and tools I learned over decades of editing. It’s set my writing free and made my practice joyful. I kept wanting to share with other writers but questioning whether I was qualified. Then I realized I’ve spent a lifetime learning to devalue my own work for so many reasons, tradition being high up there. I’m developed curriculum and worksheets and gathered wisdom from writers I admire. I’m nervous but excited. Thanks for the encouragement. I needed this message it’s OK--even great--to branch out!
I needed this hahah because I’ve definitely fell victim to the “I’m getting distracted and I need to focus” mindset. I’m a writer but a creative in general and I have ideas for so many things. I’ve had visions to start a faith-based clothing line so maybe I’ll actually work towards launching it this year 🤔
Couldn't agree with you more Kern: get out of your comfort zone man !
Do not be chained to your desk writing all day. Break up your day man with new sources of inspiration. Did you know as a profession, writers a lowest paid ! So by spending hours writing your earning rate is declining rapidly like slave wages, unless of course you have big hit, big advance LOL.
I did not want to be bored during the COVID lock downs. So I decided do study Mandarin online. I chose a challenging language, why choose something easy? to be engrossed in to avoid all that 24/7 global news about the pandemic.
Three years later with more follow up courses, to my surprise, I have a natural ability with languages. I may travel to China to do some landscape photography; speaking like a native speaker - you have more access that tourists do not have.
So I plan this year to write a short story in Mandarin and some poetry in the Tang Dynasty style tradition. I also want to continue after taking in some introductory cultural courses: 书法 Shūfǎ, calligraphy, and 山水画 Shānshuǐhuà, landscape painting.
And then to keep working on my novel LOL
Thought this would be about traveling writers (like me)…😞
Kern! If only I had counted the number of times I said “yes” or “exactly” as I read this piece. I know all to well about thinking of my work through the “traditional” lens. Seeing much of what I’ve done as adjacent to--as you put it well, a distraction from--the writing career I’m meant to aspire to as defined by tradition.
I’m learning to embrace all the work--from editing at all kinds of levels to copy writing to ghost writing and sundry projects in between--as not less than but a brilliant part of my writing life and career! And this post spoke to that so much. Thank you!!
Thanks also for asking about a new idea. I’m putting one into practice next month--just announced in a post today. What timing to find your work!
I’m offering I workshops developed based on applying to my own work the perspective and tools I learned over decades of editing. It’s set my writing free and made my practice joyful. I kept wanting to share with other writers but questioning whether I was qualified. Then I realized I’ve spent a lifetime learning to devalue my own work for so many reasons, tradition being high up there. I’m developed curriculum and worksheets and gathered wisdom from writers I admire. I’m nervous but excited. Thanks for the encouragement. I needed this message it’s OK--even great--to branch out!
Great question about whether are you comfortable not knowing what's next. I think about this sometimes as I navigate my new path.
Write a play, inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, in... Italian (my sixth language)! Crazy enough?