productivity – Page 10 – Word Inventions

“…get whatever is in you out.”

creative tools collage

Todd Henry began ‘speaking to me’ way back in 2015 when part of my job was to create something ‘new’ or ‘more original’ than what was already out there.

This author/creator of four books [Die Empty, The Accidental Creative, and Louder Than Words, and Herding Tigers–I have the first three.] has been a go-to ‘mentor’ ever since. >>NON-affiliate link to his books

Let’s ‘listen in’ to this excerpt from his newsletter that arrived yesterday [3/30/2018]:

“You have one job: get whatever is in you out. Your one and only job today, and every day, is to get whatever is in you out. Not tomorrow’s work, not yesterday’s work, but today’s. On my computer monitor is a note that reads, “Can I lay my head down tonight satisfied with the work I did today?” If I have made my contribution that day, I can rest with a clean conscience.

Do not be dulled, friends. Do not allow the lull of comfort to cause you to abdicate your contribution. Stay sharp. Keep your edges. Nothing – NOTHING – is worth giving up the most precious thing you have to offer.”

***

Pep talk

Hey, there is not this vast expanse of creative time and energy in front of us.
We have to get to it.
Now.
Find your creative tools of choice.
Start with five minutes.
Then maybe ten minutes.
And let’s see where it takes us.

NOTE: I ‘borrowed’ this post from my other blog, retirerenew.com .

Curation Friday: Austin Kleon gems…

inbox internet overload

I confess to allowing my inboxes to be overloaded with quality resources that I don’t consistently pursue. Not so with Austin Kleon’s weekly newsletters…

Here are two Austin Kleon items that I vouch for:

1. Working On It [5 Quick Thoughts on Writing]

2. How to Keep Going [Take time to watch his 26-minute talk OR, if you’re pressed for time, lock in his list of ten tips and bookmark the page for a later viewing.

Two of my favorites:
—The ordinary + extra attention = extraordinary.
—Build a ‘bliss station’. [borrowed from Joseph Campbell]
Quote from Austin: “Airplane mode is not just a setting on your phone; it can be a way of life.”

Another of his tips: You are allowed to change your mind. Well, here goes…I was going to add a third A. Kleon gem, but other commitments arose and I just plain wanted this out in the world, so I’m changing my mind and sharing only two. Thanks, Austin, for the license to do so!

And believe me, these two items are value-packed. So, turn on Airplane Mode and enjoy.

Curation Monday: If You Can Talk, You Can Write [more gems]

More worthwhile points from If You Can Talk, You Can Write by Joel Saltzman. [Not an affiliate link. I just couldn’t easily find his own website.]

” ‘Who needs another book on writing?’ ”
I did.
I needed to write this book for myself–to see if I could take what I had learned over the years and write about it my way, with my particular slant on things.”
“Remember: There’s nothing new under the sun. So don’t let an old idea stand in your way, not for a second. Don’t sit around waiting for the Big Idea; start with a small idea (like “two women go on a road trip”) and make it big.”
A quote from John Cougar Mellencamp: “All I can really do is entertain myself, and hope along the way I can entertain somebody else.”

Curation Saturday: If You Can Talk, You Can Write

One of my favorite recent purchases [August 2017 is recent for me] is the book, If You Can Talk, You Can Write by Joel Saltzman. [Not an affiliate link. I just couldn’t easily find how own website.]

Here are a few points I’ve revisited today in my reading session:

“Whether you’re struggling with a single sentence or polishing a book-length manuscript, let progress be your guide, not perfection your nemesis.”
“Along the way, you’ll develop technique, stamina and—if you’re lucky—the ability to make your next effort better than the last.”
“Conquer your worry about not writing by writing every day—either by counting the minutes or counting the pages.” In my case, I’ve been counting the words. I’ve done so ever since the January 500 Word Challenge.

Displacement activities–semi-productive, but so fun

This has been a morning of displacement activities.

Here is a screen shot of my favorite so far…Rebel that I am, I ran a sheet of magnet-paper [intended for an inkjet printer] through my laser printer. Nailed it!

dog magnets screen shot

So I’m going to be cutting out these bad-boys and planting them on the fridge and await my wife’s reaction.

The next post…a change in direction.

The next post after that…a recipe’s instructions…rewritten.

Writing Tip of the Day: Know your adversaries.

Some are blatantly trying to undermine your efforts. Case in point: People who give you gifts like…

screw work coffee mug

Others are more subtle.

When I mentioned Jon Acuff’s point about the dangers of ‘hiding places’ [daily detours from your deep-seated desire to reach a goal], one reader responded with: “But aren’t hiding places a bit fun?” Simply devious, I say, with her grasp of the truth and suggesting that those side trips aren’t so bad.

Writing Tip of the Day: Know your tools.

notebooks

Notebooks were put on this earth to be:

misplaced long enough to derail a writing project
mysteriously vaporized to tank an entire project
purchased, sorted by color, and neatly stacked in the closet so that new notebooks can later be purchased, sorted by color, and neatly stacked on top of them.

notebooks-colors

Writing Tip of the Day: Three pens and…

All this deep stuff about rationalizations and humanness. Let’s take a break.

Back to the practical level.

three pens

Always keep three pens and a sterilized needle with you when you’re writing longhand. Odds are, at least two of the pens won’t work or will peter out when you’re in mid-chapter, at which point the third one will avert an ugly display.

And if the third pen goes belly-up, a quick sweep of the needle across your forearm [for dramatic effect] will provide you with enough fluid to at least finish that page and get you to Urgent Care.

Writing Tip of the Day: Moving to the bigger picture

think big painted on wall

The last two days we covered rationalizations.

But as I was slaving [slaving, I tell you] over those two posts, I noticed the living room needed a little straightening.

That’s when the ‘I’m writing.’ rationalization kicked in. A close call. I almost pulled myself out of the chair and did something productive.

It was then I realized this tennis match between reasons for writing and not writing speaks to this: Our neuroses, weirdnesses, and just plain humanness can fuel daily inspiration, development of characters and plot, and blog content for decades to come.

And trust me, our humanness never stops.

Well, okay, until that whole persistent breathing habit stops.

At that point, progress does tend to drop off a bit.

And please, don’t get me started on cryogenics.

Category Archives: productivity