Category Archives for Creativity
Feeling Like a Fraud? How To Get Over Impostor Syndrome
We see those professional writers and entrepreneurs bask in the glory of their successful careers. They deliver quality work, become an authority in their niche, and seem to connect well with their audience. People get the idea that they definitely know what they are doing.
But beneath that surface can be a frustrated individual who feels like a fraud despite the glaring evidence of success.
We have all been there, one way or another. One minute, we’re feeling a sense of accomplishment with our work, and then next, we’re dragging ourselves down, flooded with guilt, because we feel undeserving of any kind of merit.
“Is it because of pure luck, or is it because of talent?” we may wonder.
The Art of Giving Up: When to Walk Away From a Writing Project
What was the most recent thing you’ve wanted to achieve really, really badly in your writing career? I mean something that you would persevere with even if it meant sacrificing a good portion of your time.
For me, it was publishing a book. Actually, two books. Both of which have been in the works for at least two years now.
Other than those, I have at least a hundred documents of writing material I speculated would make for some pretty decent stories at their conception.
There are thousands of these stories in my head, and the task of narrowing down the selection to just one or two or even six is a daunting one. Some stories resonate more than others at certain times, and others may be interesting to pursue for only a few months or weeks.
How do you know when a project is good—that a project is worth pursuing?
That your project is worth putting in the extra hour a day just to ensure it advances at all?
A Case Against Having a Daily Writing Quota
In online discussions with other writers, the “big Q” question sooner or later pops up: “What’s your daily writing quota?”
Well, let’s get that out of the way immediately, so that we can focus on the how’s and why’s, which are more important: I don’t have a daily writing quota—that is, a daily word-count goal.
Some days (albeit rarely) I write 5,000 words. Some days I write 50 words. There can be days or weeks with 0 words.
But I always get the job done and, more importantly, I like the result.
So, let me proudly declare it right away: I am vehemently against daily writing quotas, and I believe writers do not help themselves by obeying a daily writing quota.
That statement by itself is useless without some elaboration, so perhaps it’s more fruitful to explain why I don’t believe in such self-imposed goals and, more crucially, what there is to gain from not having a daily writing quota.
Using Constraints to Boost Your Creativity
For most people, creativity seems to have closer ties to freedom than constraints. You may have the idea that creativity is something that happens best when the possibilities are endless—when anything goes and you have all the time and resources you could possibly need.
This sounds like the ideal scenario for completing any creative project, but that’s where many are misinformed.
Going at a project no holds barred is counterproductive for a few reasons. Having too many possibilities can make it difficult to know where to begin, come up with seriously creative ideas, or even just to get it done.
This is actually good news. In the professional world, all projects come with constraints, be it time, budget, audience, or format. These may feel restraining at times, but trust me, you’re much better off with them than without them.