Lately, I have been wondering whether it is better or worse for my writing to force myself to write something daily. Is it really true that repeating the task of writing on a daily basis will trigger my creativity or improve my writing generally? Sometimes, I am not so sure.
I recently reviewed a number of my old blog posts and I was disappointed by the overwhelming number of them which, to put it frankly, are crap. So many of my posts are clearly vague, amorphous attempts to write filler – they are there so that I seem to be a more regular writer than I really am.
Writing pap follows what I think is a misconceived notion that reading anything is better than reading nothing at all. This notion is one belonging to a child of the TV generation – who prefers the sound of something humming away in the background to the whisper quiet of an empty house.
Perhaps it is more true that we should only speak, or write, or produce when we truly feel a need to express a thought or an idea. Art is, after all, a sort of dialogue, which depends on the patience and interest of the reader/viewer to give it half its life.
Nevertheless, I do tend to attempt to write daily because I am afraid of forgetting to write at all. I worry that if I don’t apply myself with discipline, I may drift off into my corporate styled life and forget all about my creative passions. Are these worries valid?
How often do you write? What punishments do you endure? Are you better for it? Your comments are welcome.
Katie
Far Away Literary Magazine 
I find it amazing that you write every day, if you love it you should do it all the time! I find it hard to find the time and words to write daily. Also, I am a visual artist so I find it a little harder to put my abstract thoughts into words. Much easier for me to express that through a tangible visual medium such as painting. I try to write once a week, hoping to do more as it gets easier. I think artists of any form are very self critical of their own work. It’s so easy to be hard on yourself, but don’t let that get in the way of your passions!! xx
Hi Erica,
To be truthful – I don’t always manage to write every day. I want to, but I deliberate over whether I should put a not very inspired attempt of writing on the page, or whether I should wait until I have something specific I want to write about.
There’s a lot of debate in the blogosphere (and in writing books generally) about whether its best to write for writings sake, or to only write when you are in the right frame of mind to do it. I’m not sure what’s best.
It must be very different working in the visual medium, because what you’re creating may require many layers and take time to reach its finished state. Art would reveal itself as more of a gradual process maybe?
You’re right about following your passions – if only someone would pay me to do it!!
Katie
One thing you can try is this: Schedule a time to write and write in that time. It doesn’t have to be about your current project(s), it could simply be 3 pages of the word blah over an over again. There are a lot of people who do this and many people believe that just getting in the practice of opening up the flood gate for the words to flow through you is a good skill to learn. In a way it is like acting: You have to learn how to tap into certain emotions at the drop of a hat. If you don’t learn how to connect to the writer in you and gain control of turning the font of words on, what would happen if you had a deadline?
I am not saying this is easy. In fact it is very very hard, but nothing really worth doing is ever easy.