Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Ideas, by Rilla Alexander



Howdy! Just discovered this and thought I'd share, it's so spot-on. SOUNDS A LITTLE FAMILIAR! The lead-in quote: "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." Yeah, I'm the 99%. I mean, heck, who isn't, really? There are some genuine 1%ers out there but they're so fleeping rare. We all want to be one, but we're just not, so there's no point whining about it. Just buckle down to the perspiring. It's not glamorous, but it works. 

There, right there, that's my best advice for achieving your creative goals: 

If you are not a genius, or suspect you may not be, don't worry about it. Just do the work as if it were, you know ... work. Because it is. Sit down and do it. You can. That's all.

(If you are, in fact, a genius, I don't know what to tell you. Yay, you!)

That said, before I keel over sideways, falling asleep on the way down, I think I'll read some of this yeah-damn-it-he's-definitely-a-genius book I'm in the middle of: SNOW CRASH by Neal Stephenson. Dang. This guy. Some kinda smart and seeeeeeriously original. Yeah? 



5 comments:

Jane Harrington said...

Awesome. Thanks!

Tiffany Marie said...

Thank you so much for sharing that! What a scrumptious buffet of inspiration and advice, with a little spice of self-discovery along the way.

I found myself procrastinating by perusing blogs, which led to watching the Rilla Alexander conference, then I found myself looking up the word perendinate, and then I stumbled upon the 'word' 'procrastiBation' and came to a startling conclusion. I know procrastibate is completely different and really has nothing to do with anything, but it lead me to the realization that I use other writer's work to postpone creating my own. I often halfarsed set a date for starting to work on a project, then I hear about an amazing piece of literary delight that I simply have to devour, because I just KNOW that it will give me the inspiration, the Nudge, the happy monkeys in zero gravity with floating bananas level of energy to actually sit down and get to my own. I finish the book. I reflect. I consider starting mine...and then I remember that other great book that was just recommended to me. It's at endless cycle.

I just ordered an AlphaSmart to help with the procrastiNation, but I just know I'll suddenly decide to paint the house or something instead. I'm going to set a deadline for myself and try to find someone to send my work to for critiquing so that I have to keep creating. And I will schedule in reading time for myself, but I can't allow it to hold me hostage anymore as I have.

You (and Rilla) are awesome. :)

Amanda Summer said...

this is wonderful. ms. alexander articulates very well the importance of developing a powerful work ethic and the reality that, without it, ideas remain beautiful and ephemeral but unharvested. i didn't realize there were other ted talk like forums out there. thank you for sharing this.

Charley Robson said...

Lovely wee quote there! Very nice indeed :)

Unknown said...

Funny, Laini Taylor, you are not a genius? Well, I happen to think you are, and I'm not even being sarcastic. I guess, genius is not on how we do stuff, if it's easy or difficult, I think what really matters is how much effort and love we put into de things we do, thats what makes genius!

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