The Art Of Writing: Give Yourself The Freedom To “Waste” Time
“For every hour that I spend writing, I spend 3 hours thinking about writing”
Writing is a discipline and part of that discipline is the 3 hours that you spend thinking about writing, doing laundry instead of writing just to get that immediate satisfaction of accomplishing something, and surfing the internet to satisfy a craving of the brain before the writing starts. Revered author, Malcolm Gladwell’s truth that for every hour that he spends writing, he spends 3 hours thinking about writing perfectly explains the journey of a writer, and of many creatives. Occasionally, those 3 hours are spent planning a course of action but most of the time, it feels like mental paralysis and there is so much guilt associated with the feeling that time is being wasted. In those moments of frustration, remember that writing isn’t a “check the box” activity and doesn’t always provide immediate gratification. Imagine 3 hours spent just thinking about what to write, a day in the coffee shop with only a caffeine high accomplished, 2 days spent trying to write a short poem, 5000 words deleted because it didn’t capture your vision for the story, or an entire book scrapped...it can be disheartening but it is all a normal part of the creative process.
When you find yourself doubting your abilities or worrying about time wasted, remember that the discipline of writing is also a beautiful form of art and art is a long game. You are in the process of conceiving, innovating, building, and creating magic. Be patient with the process of birthing something new. Give yourself guilt-free permission to rest, exercise, surf the web, meditate and then try again. The inspiration will come; your job is to be mindful of your journey, never lose faith in your artistic abilities and always bet on yourself.
