This was the exact reason I quit writing for online platforms which had a set rule to write at least 1.5k per day and if just one day is missed, your pay is automatically gone for the month. Even if you missed the 30th of that month, everything is gone.
I went through a mechanical process of writing words that didn't feel natural. They were forced, out of a pressure in making ends meet.
Leaving that industry and regaining my love back for writing has been one of the greatest decisions I made this year.
Oh that's so lovely to hear Shenazrania. 1.5k words or any quota per day is enough to take away the joy of writing. I'm glad you escaped that torture. :)
I love the idea of letting our writing be inefficient and meandering. In a way this is also about reclaiming play and exploration in our writing. Taking writing back as a process of creating and becoming sounds so refreshing in our capitalist, efficiency- and productivty-worshipping culture 🩷
Absolutely. Slow writing takes you to places you never thought you could go to. It's a way of seeing things you didn't see before. You become a little different than when you started. And yes, I agree that we should keep writing or the art of creativity miles away from the productivity-worshipping culture.
Totally! Writing for me represents freedom! I do not want it to become a chore. We need to have activities that we savour and give our slow undivided attention to. ✨️
So true! I think one of the scary things of inefficiency is the prolonged period of uncertainty it gives us. We learn to be comfortable with that space between the sprouting of an idea and a finished piece. That extra time allows us to find a deeper meaning in what we create, and to be inspired by different art mediums.
I do enjoy participating in micro writing challenges of 24h to 72h. It pushes your writing to be more spontaneous and to the point. However, nothing can replace the slow agonizing progress of a writing piece being created and changed by the different versions of ourselves along the way (like those sitting for years 🙈).
Yeah, sometimes keeping limitations does help us overcome procrastination, and I do think we should all be looking to finish pieces. But writing is inherently a slow process. We have to be patient for the magic to happen.
This made my day...I feel like I really needed this. My art has never been feeling so unauthentic but from the time I've been pressurizing myself to be a phenomenal writer, always be poetic, using exceptional vocabulary, overall being highly "efficient'. Which ultimately made me quit writing/ songwriting for quite sometime. This is my reminder today to start writing again. As a 16 year old teenager, when you see people appreciating and accepting you for a type of artwork they think suits you, your age or what 'they know you to be' and kind of finding it difficult to accept the other parts which contribute to who you've evolved to be, over the years (countless encounters, feelings, emotions and traumas). You as a simple and innocent soul push yourself to be the same, always use extravaganza vocabulary, forcing it feel like an 'artwork of the century" to be fair (LOL) . But its of no use..
So from today onwards, I give myself full permission to be cringy, underwhelming, childish, overmatured and imperfect. I'll write whatever I can and want to everyday, even if its just a sentence. I allow myself to stick to my voice and experiment with my art however the hell I want to.
THANKS A LOT FOR THIS. YOU WILL BE THE REASON TO CHANGE MY LIFE.
THIS!!!!
This was the exact reason I quit writing for online platforms which had a set rule to write at least 1.5k per day and if just one day is missed, your pay is automatically gone for the month. Even if you missed the 30th of that month, everything is gone.
I went through a mechanical process of writing words that didn't feel natural. They were forced, out of a pressure in making ends meet.
Leaving that industry and regaining my love back for writing has been one of the greatest decisions I made this year.
Oh that's so lovely to hear Shenazrania. 1.5k words or any quota per day is enough to take away the joy of writing. I'm glad you escaped that torture. :)
I love the idea of letting our writing be inefficient and meandering. In a way this is also about reclaiming play and exploration in our writing. Taking writing back as a process of creating and becoming sounds so refreshing in our capitalist, efficiency- and productivty-worshipping culture 🩷
Absolutely. Slow writing takes you to places you never thought you could go to. It's a way of seeing things you didn't see before. You become a little different than when you started. And yes, I agree that we should keep writing or the art of creativity miles away from the productivity-worshipping culture.
Totally! Writing for me represents freedom! I do not want it to become a chore. We need to have activities that we savour and give our slow undivided attention to. ✨️
Couldn't agree more!!
I really needed to read this. The words spoke directly to me and what I've been struggling with lately. I feel so much better now 🙂, so thank you.
Oh that’s so lovely to hear Tara. I’m glad it resonated with you. Wishing you best of luck in your journey. :)
So true! I think one of the scary things of inefficiency is the prolonged period of uncertainty it gives us. We learn to be comfortable with that space between the sprouting of an idea and a finished piece. That extra time allows us to find a deeper meaning in what we create, and to be inspired by different art mediums.
I do enjoy participating in micro writing challenges of 24h to 72h. It pushes your writing to be more spontaneous and to the point. However, nothing can replace the slow agonizing progress of a writing piece being created and changed by the different versions of ourselves along the way (like those sitting for years 🙈).
Yeah, sometimes keeping limitations does help us overcome procrastination, and I do think we should all be looking to finish pieces. But writing is inherently a slow process. We have to be patient for the magic to happen.
Totally! That magic ingredient can't be rushed.
Oh I loved it. The art og being inefficient while creating something. It's really good.
I’m glad it resonated with you. :)
This made my day...I feel like I really needed this. My art has never been feeling so unauthentic but from the time I've been pressurizing myself to be a phenomenal writer, always be poetic, using exceptional vocabulary, overall being highly "efficient'. Which ultimately made me quit writing/ songwriting for quite sometime. This is my reminder today to start writing again. As a 16 year old teenager, when you see people appreciating and accepting you for a type of artwork they think suits you, your age or what 'they know you to be' and kind of finding it difficult to accept the other parts which contribute to who you've evolved to be, over the years (countless encounters, feelings, emotions and traumas). You as a simple and innocent soul push yourself to be the same, always use extravaganza vocabulary, forcing it feel like an 'artwork of the century" to be fair (LOL) . But its of no use..
So from today onwards, I give myself full permission to be cringy, underwhelming, childish, overmatured and imperfect. I'll write whatever I can and want to everyday, even if its just a sentence. I allow myself to stick to my voice and experiment with my art however the hell I want to.
THANKS A LOT FOR THIS. YOU WILL BE THE REASON TO CHANGE MY LIFE.
I’m glad it resonated so much with you. Keep writing. You’ll find your voice. :)