Flow is important. It provides vital information about what you should be spending your time on. I’m referring to a “state of flow”, a state we slip into when we are doing an activity we love, a state of total immersion. Time ceases, ideas come effortlessly. I experience a state of flow when I write…
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How to Silence your Inner Critic
This past week I heard (or read, I can’t remember) the phrase: “Get out of your head and into your body.” It was in reference to creative work. This inspired a light bulb moment. I know that once I start my creative work, and I’ve been at it for a few minutes, my relentless inner…
Read MoreGetting to the Good Part
I love painting. I hate drawing. In addition to writing, making art is a calling of mine. This means I can’t stop doing it, even though I go through phases of thinking I’m horrible at it. I took most of the art classes offered at my high school, I went to art college for a…
Read MoreI Don’t Want To
I’ve been confronting my laziness. Every time I find a shred of motivation, I tell myself: “I don’t feel like it yet.” “I’ve been having a hard time, I deserve a break.” It’s easy to give in to my impulse to take a break, to rest, but it never feels right. It never feels like…
Read MoreThe Subtly of Progress
I’m impatient. You’re impatient. We want to start doing something and immediately have it be the best thing that’s ever been done, no matter how firmly the logical parts of our brains tell us that isn’t going to happen. I looked up one day and I had written 20 blog posts. I looked up one…
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Don’t Take Advice
Some people love to give advice. I seem to know a lot of these people. My advice? The more willing someone is to toss out unsolicited advice, the less likely they have any idea what they’re talking about. I’ve listened to well intentioned advice all my life. I’m not happy with where it’s led me.…
Read MoreLowering My Expectations
When I decided to write Dark House (the working title of my book), I had some big plans. Some big, ridiculous plans. The first draft was supposed to be done by August 1st, giving me about four months to write it. That date has come and gone and I’m a little under halfway done with…
Read MoreRejection: Part 2
I’ve been gone (again), because I applied for another job I really wanted (again), had a good interview (again), and got rejected (again). Why do I stop writing when I’m stressed?! Why do I stop doing the one thing that makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something worthwhile? Even though I’ve stopped writing for my…
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Ditch Your Outline
I started working on my novel again yesterday after a two week hiatus. It took me two whole weeks to figure out what was holding me back. I didn’t want to write what I had planned in my outline. The next section was supposed to be a little different than the previous chapters. I was…
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Rejection
I’m back. So, that thing I stopped writing to focus on? A job interview. I didn’t get the job. I’m sad. The interview went well, I thought I would get it. However, I’m not as upset as I thought I would be. I had so much anxiety about the job, it’s just nice to get…
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K. J. Cole 