Freedom From Expectations
The worst way to begin a creative endeavor is to have expectations of perfection.
By beginning the work with ideas of our previous work in our head, we limit what we might create now. We also limit ourselves by trying to conform our writing to the style of somone we admire.
The best writing comes from our authentic selves. Trying to write like our self from the past, or like someone else, will limit our potential. It’s a paradox because we want to write well, so we think we need to have some mold in the back of our minds so that we can fit our words in that mold. But all that ends up happening is that we become too imitative. We miss the chance to express our real, unique talent.
It’s good to read great authors, and to reflect on ways to improve your writing. But when it comes time to write, we should try and keep all those ideas at arm’s length. They’ll clog up our brains, making us write forced, stilted sentences. If we’re more free with our expression, our natural voice will come out by it’s own accord and guide us.
By writing this way, we’ll continually improve. But we won’t improve towards being a better carbon copy of someone else or of our previous work, we’ll improve in a trajectory of original growth. Our work won’t sound jsut like our last piece, or like anyone elses. We’re new each day. Each moment can bring fresh inspiration, we just have to not get in its way.
