I discovered something interesting while reading The Practice by Seth Godin.
He shares the work of two creative people, Abbey Ryan and Isaac Asimov.
Godin says,
Abbey Ryan sits down and paints. She’s produced more than a thousand paintings, a painting a day.
Isaac Asimov published more than four hundred books. How did he possibly pull that off?
Asimov woke up every morning, sat in front of his manual typewriter, and he typed. That was his job, to type. The stories he created, the robots and the rest, were the bonus that came along for the ride.
He typed when he wasn’t inspired. The typing turned into writing and he became inspired.
Writing something good is the outcome of writing daily and practicing the craft.
It’s not about having brilliant ideas or knowing how to write well. Instead, it’s about consistently showing up to do the work.
Most writers wait for inspiration or motivation before they write. Unfortunately, motivation doesn’t come that easily. You have to force yourself to take action for it to arrive.
Viral articles and best-selling books aren’t the result of brilliant ideas or genius writing abilities. They are the outcome of producing daily work.
Mark Manson’s book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck, didn’t become a best-seller by luck. He was a blogger for eight years before writing the book. His book was initially a blog post that went viral. His audience resonated with the article, so he wrote a book with the same title.
When you lack ideas or inspiration to write, don’t wait.
Start typing. Show up and get your fingers moving. Write whatever it is in your head.
Do it daily.
You will eventually produce a significant volume of work. Many of it will go unnoticed, but some will take you to heights you never imagined. Remember, one viral blog post can change your life.
“We don’t write because we feel like it. We feel like it because we write. ” — Seth Godin
Have a daily routine.
Successful writers have a daily writing routine. They show up to their work desks and write in a flow state. For some, it could be in the morning, while for others, it could be in the afternoon or before bed.
The right time is up to you. But you must show up to write.
As I said, begin typing, and ideas/inspiration will find you. As Godin says, “Write about your audience, your craft, your challenges. Write about the trade-offs, the industry, and your genre. Write about your dreams and your fears. Write about what’s funny and what’s not. Write to clarify. Write to challenge yourself. Write on a regular schedule.”
Freewriting, ideas, inspiration, and producing meaningful work
When you don’t have any ideas in mind, practice freewriting. Don’t stop writing just because you lack inspiration.
If you genuinely love writing, you don’t need motivation or inspiration to write. You enjoy the process of writing—sitting at your desk, opening your computer, and letting your fingers do the work.
It might sound unrealistic. How can I write when I don’t have ideas?
You can.
You just don’t know how to practice it yet, and you don’t understand the power of producing high-volume work.
Further, ideas only come to you when you live with intention. They do not magically flow to you when you “think” about them. You must consume high-quality content, do exciting things, and focus on activities besides writing. That’s how you find inspiration for your creative work.
So, start typing. Show up and do the work—type when you aren’t inspired. Then, your typing will turn into writing, and you will become inspired.
