Take the Scenic Route
Straight uphill is not always the best way forward.
“Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.” — Jerry Seinfeld
The direct route is not always the best.
Some things require time, patience and experience.
Writing is one of those things.
Creating essays and lengthy articles from the start is a steep hill to climb. Many aspiring writers run headlong up the hill only to falter, fall and roll right back down. Demoralizing doesn’t even begin to describe the pain of this experience.
Take the gentler path up the hill. The way may not seem obvious at first, because you are focused on the top and not the sights along the way. Let’s explore the scenic route...
Curate: Find content you love.
Be open but selective about what you consume. Stick to a steady, nourishing diet of ideas and perspectives.
Collect: Make note of what you value.
When an idea ignites a flame within you, collect it in the moment in your own words. Make this process as friction free as possible.
Convey: Share what you value.
Start by commenting on the work of others. Commenting is writing in its simplest form. Gift others with the benefit of your perspective. And don’t forget to collect your own comments!
Connect: Commingle all you have gathered.
Allow ideas the time and space to take root and grow as they please. Unexpected connections and patterns emerge by proximity.
Create: Integrate what you have learned.
Creating is the art of stitching things together with the thread of your unique perspective. Closely guard this sacred time.
Cycle: Achieve a healthy balance.
Continue this process in a never ending cycle. Do not tarry overlong in any one area. Swim with the current. Drink from abundance.
Stop running straight uphill. Direct attempts at the top are repelled. Take the scenic route instead. Circle your way up the same hill. Enjoy its views. Accept what it gives. Uncover its secrets. And it will reward you with the top.
🤔 Food for Thought:
Do you keep running straight up the hill?
Have you tried the scenic route?
⚙️ One Small Step:
The first step in writing is to not think about it as writing. It is simply a medium for expressing your thoughts on paper. There is no right or wrong way to do it as long as the result is true to you.