MUSING: Writing Is A Learned Craft
A pen can (and should be) the mind's paintbrush, a multi-tool for the soul, and an extension of the writer's experience into that of the reader. It all starts with a commitment to practice.
Creativity can seem like an exclusive endeavor for a certain type of person. Indeed, experts can seem to have ahold of creativity in the mainstream, and for good reason.
They’ve mastered the basics to the point that their hands are steady, their voices clear like birdsong, and their expertise seems otherworldly.
It’s Always Horses With Me
I just spent the weekend watching high-dollar horses run for high-dollar opportunities. The Cactus Classic is a reining show that offers the best of the best ten slots to qualify for the Run for the Million in its final Derby.
The details are less important, but what I saw in those high-dollar teams was the fundamentals at their absolute best. I witnessed a horse that walked in quiet and controlled to a crowded and loud arena. Horses that ran at top speed without losing mental fortitude. And riders that made extremely difficult maneuvers look effortless.
As a two-year-old with no training, these horses would have looked quite different. The rider walking into his first reining lesson, the same. Commitment and practice led them to the show pen.
Expertise Always Seems Effortless, But Is Rooted in Practice
Writing is the same way. When I read great writing, I think it’s something beyond my purview.
I can never write like that, I can never ride like that, I can never [enter your brand of never here].
I’ve been reigniting my personal practice of drawing, and last night I used a beginner’s video to refresh my ability to use perspective to draw. We started with stick figures and moved to portraits within two hours. Lessons of long ago stirred up. I loved what I drew, even though it isn’t anything worth sharing. It was just fun to do it.
I am reminded to go back to the beginning.
Where The Beginning Is Most Important
The writing class I’ve put together is about the beginning. The practice. The art of creating something that no one will see.
In our classes, there is no homework, no pre-reading, nothing to do before or after.
Each class stands on its own, just like a yoga class or a spin class.
We simply come together to stretch out our minds, to refocus on the fundamentals, but without the weights of past or future.
In the last two classes, we focused on ‘Identity’ and ‘Attention’ in our writing. Tonight, we focus on ‘Details’.
Join us at 7 pm MST tonight using this link: http://meet.google.com/ocf-kcmg-spi
And if you’d like to be added to the invite, reach out to me personally.
Next Week: Another Piece of Writing!
Stay tuned!
All my best -
Nicole