Workables #4: Creation is Connection
We live in an abundant universe, but we have to know how to access it. I’m not talking about some weird guru stuff (…though, I do highly recommend starting a meditation practice). No, I’m talking about your writing practice. Here’s the thing:
The more you write,
the more stuff you’ll have to write.
That sounds insane, right? You’d think that writing down your ideas means that you’d be using them all up and running out of them. But, when we really understand that art comes from abundance, what we’re really coming to understand is how the brain works.
Creation is connection.
As we make things, our brains make connections. When we follow those connections, we find more connections. Before we know it, our ideas have spawned new ideas because we’ve made new connections.
We never need to worry about running out of ideas, at least as long as we are practicing our art. When you stop practicing, things tend to go stale because you’re not making new connections, you’re not trying things out, not going down new avenues and exploring new ways of doing things.
You don’t need to do anything special. All you have to do is write. I’ve got plenty of suggestions for that, but I’ll start with just one: Start small. Here’s how:
- Choose a tool: pen and paper, word processor, cuneiform tablet, whatever.
- Set aside 15 minutes. Mark it on your calendar.
- When the time arrives, clear away all potential distractions. No phones. No other apps open. Just you and the blank page.
- Spend the entire 15 minutes writing whatever comes to mind. It doesn’t matter what it’s about. No one will read it, so it doesn’t need to be good. Just let it fly. I am certain you’ll come up with something to write about.
Start there. Then do it again the following day. (Put it in your calendar at a time when you know you can accomplish it.)
Focus on the habit of writing and then fan the flames and watch your ideas catch fire. The fire will spread as you make more and more connections.
You’ve just started your writing practice.
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