I wish I could tell you that each time I write this newsletter I dip into a (bottomless) (self-replenishing) well of perfectly crafted story ideas. That I’m always bursting at the seams with anecdotes and inspiration. And given the plentitude of story ideas, I simply have to choose the best one, polish it a bit, and then ship it off you, my readers, with ease and flair.
But that’s just not how writing works.
In reality, the well is indeed bottomless, but I sometimes misplace the bucket, or forget how to use the crank.
Once upon a time, I thought I had to be inspired to write. I pictured myself out for a walk, magically stumbling upon the next great story idea. And while going for a walk is an excellent way to get my creative juices flowing, taking a walk every time I need to be creative is neither practical nor feasible given the volume of writing I need to do.
Nowadays, it’s not: get inspired, and then sit down to write. Most of the time, I sit down to write and get inspired.
In other words, I turn the faucet on.
A lot of times we don’t feel ready to take on the next challenge—whether it be a new job, new project, new relationship, or new pet.
We talk ourselves out of what we want because we’re scared or feel unprepared or don’t want to fail.
But that’s not how life works, either.
You have to start before you think you’re ready. In all likelihood, you are ready. It’s just a matter of turning the faucet on, and learning (or relearning) as you go.
Supplemental reading: My go-to recommendation for heeding your internal compass, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
Being ‘scared’ or more specifically having a fear to do or not do something paralyzes us. Only when that fear becomes too much does one feel compelled to ‘turn the faucet on.’
Always enjoy your blogs, AW! Keep ‘em coming!