Above all, read a lot and write a lot.
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of.” — Stephen King
If you are reading this article, chances are you are a writer. To master this craft, you must spend your time on these two things: reading a lot and writing a lot. You can’t have one without the other.
Write and read above all else.
In his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King proposes that writers should read whenever and…
Create like a genius.
“Substantially all ideas are second-hand, consciously and unconsciously drawn from a million outside sources, and daily use by the garnerer with a pride and satisfaction born of the superstition that he originated them.” — Mark Twain
Creativity is nothing more than collecting and connecting old notions to create new interpretations. The combination of bits of knowledge is what allows us to create an endless amount of ideas.
There is a cultural misconception between the ideation of new concepts — the stroke of genius — and how it actually takes place. But all Eureka! …
Focus on what matters.
In the times we live today, everything is saturated. The Internet has created as many opportunities as it has brought opponents in every field of work. We find ourselves stuck between creating or paralyzing ourselves amongst all is created, posted, and reposted.
If you want to survive in this fast-paced world, we must always be producing and pushing yourself beyond your limits.
If you want to stand out, you must impress. Or not.
Impressions last a moment. You get a few views, likes, and comments. Maybe even a few followers. …
I have recently written an article about the reasons why every creative should keep a commonplace book.
Simply put, a commonplace book is an archive for inspiration, information, and observation. It is a journal where you keep quotes, stories, sketches, drafts, concepts, ideas, and anything you come across and might want to use as an inspiration or information to create your own body of work.
There is no better system to archive material that you will be able to flip through and read, write, draw, and absorb your lifelong memories.
Its most valuable attribute, though, is generating new ideas by…
This centuries-old practice might be your best source for creativity and productivity.
If you are a creative, you understand the importance of having a journal exclusively for ideas. Ideas keep your mind and hand in movement and, consequently, you expand your body of work.
The best example is the commonplace book that has been used by the greatest minds in history readers, writers, philosophers, and more. Every commonplace book is based on the creators’ own influences and experiences. That is what makes the book unique.
It differs from a journal for many reasons. A journal records everyday activities. A commonplace book collects and classifies bits of knowledge you want to keep in…
Life is long if you know how to use it.
Time has become one of the rarest resources in our lifetime. We are constantly scrolling our screens to look for new sources of information and inspiration. We keep telling ourselves we don’t have enough time to do what has meaning to us.
Time is limited.
I know it. You know it.
Yet, very few take time to organize and prioritize their time. By doing both tasks, you will begin to use time in a better way. By scheduling your activities wisely for the days, weeks, and months, you will start…
“Quidvis recte factum quamvis humile praeclarum.”
Likely, there are things in your daily life that are not the most pleasing or interesting or inspiring to do. No matter how much you love your field of work or study, there will always be things that are not what you would prefer to be doing at the moment.
Yet, if you stick to doing what it takes, no matter how simple a task may seem, you build up to a vast amount of work for yourself and your craft.
I get it. It is tempting to scroll down your Instagram feed or…
Don’t break the chain.
Once, at a comedy circuit, Jerry Seinfeld was asked what his tips were for those who were at the beginning of his career. Seinfeld would have said that the way to become a better comedian was to create better jokes, and for that, he had to write every day. But more than that, he told him about the technique he used to be consistent day after day:
He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. …
All you need is a pen and a paper.
“Keep a notebook. Travel with it, eat with it, sleep with it. Slap into it every stray thought that flutters up in your brain. Cheap paper is less perishable than gray matter, and lead pencil markings endure longer than memory.” — Jack London
Once I was told that “through journaling, you create yourself.” With time I have found this to be true.
One of the biggest trends for self-development in the past years has been journaling. …
Would you enjoy your creation if you were not its creator?
Leonardo Da Vinci said, “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”
This quote is often found in articles on productivity in the sense of achieving goals. You must consistently study and work towards your projects; you must make things happen.
But understanding the quintessential Renaissance master that Leonardo da Vinci was, there is another layer to it that refers to creativity. You must go out and do the things you want to do, see the things you want to…
