I had an opportunity to interview filmmaker Geoff Marslett yesterday for an upcoming podcast episode, and it was a powerful conversation about the challenges independent artists face, and the line we have to walk between our wildest creative impulses and marketability. To me, it feels like a paradox. Art, by its very nature, is disruptive. […]
I’ve just turned 50 and I’m slowing down. What’s interesting about this is that my slowing down isn’t happening because I’m aging. That part is pretty easy, actually. I just wake up every day and voila! I’m older. But the slowing down – that’s new. And while it’s connected to me getting older, it’s not […]
I’m starting another one of my social media sabbaticals today. This time I’ll be “offline” for six weeks. Once again, I feel a profound sense of relief to be able to step away, and I wonder how much longer I can maintain a personal presence on these platforms. The whole thing really has become an […]
I spent the month of December offline (a practice that always gives me room to think and grow) during which time it occurred to me that the missing ingredient for my creative success is momentum.
After several months of valiantly trying to turn out a consistent word count I realized I had jumped into the deep end of the pool before I knew how to swim. This is not unusual for me. I’m known for foolishly running headlong into impossible challenges. But this time, something was different. Writing a novel isn't just a random creative impulse, it's a lifelong dream. I was crestfallen to discover that I sucked at it.
I’ve learned some pretty intense lessons about what it means to be a writer, the first (and possibly most important) of which is: writing sucks.
Those who have produced truly great things almost always find enclaves of like-souls with whom they can express themselves freely, and without judgement — engaging throughout their imperfect processes and without the burden of having to perform for the fickle, intolerant or unfulfilled masses who are simply looking for, at best a diversion; at worst, things to criticize in order to relive their own existential discomfort.
A couple weeks ago I decided to make some lifestyle changes that I hoped would help me with my writing. This experiment is based on the research I've done around cognitive health and neuroplasticity, and in reading the personal stories of creatives I admire. A common theme I've discovered is how vital it is to have control of my mind and be able to apply it with great energy toward whatever endeavor I'm currently immersed in birthing creatively. My goal, then, is to sit down to write each day with a brain that is still and clear, free of distraction. I want an open, fertile, equanimous mind that can be focused without excessively taxing myself cognitively.
