Monday, August 22, 2011

Discipline or Inspiration



The advice to wannabe writers is to write something every day. That is good discipline, and a worthy objective. The challenge is: what to write? Does discipline mean writing something of poor value or pat answers when inspiration is at a low ebb?

Or is it better to wait for inspiration? Here the problem is: will it ever come? Occasionally inspiration comes as I write, other times I struggle to say something helpful and finish with just words. Leave them or scrub them, it would make no difference.

Add to the mix a focus elsewhere, where inspiration is mandatory. That produces thin inspiration for secondary projects. I guess that is where I sit today: struggling for something to blog when the world’s joy and misery cries out for comment—for me both tragedy and travesty!

So from today, I will take some time each Sunday to centre on wider issues beyond my immediate weekday focus. Perhaps less quantity and more quality is the goal. Still, I hope, a worthwhile mix of discipline and inspiration!

P.S. I'm shocked to hear of the death of Jack Layton. Could never agree with his politics, but liked him immensely. Our deep condolences to Olivia chow and his family.