If you’re using the turn of the new year to reassess your creative goals and continuous learning, you’re not alone. In a post on DIY MFA, Gabriela Pereira talks about how she reevaluates her mindset so that she can be the most creative and productive writer she can be.
Pereira says writers have to be willing to experiment; able to reframe success and failure as part of your process; and trained to choose the right motivating language. She uses an iterative process – a cycle of constant experimentation and revision – to stretch her creativity. Pereira says there are two sides to iteration: staying the course and letting go.
“We must be persistent and keep writing, even when it’s hard or painful and crafting each word feels like pulling teeth,” she writes. “On the flip-side, though, iteration also means letting go of habits or techniques that aren’t working for you.” Don’t fall into the trap of believing that someone else’s writing process will work for you. If you want to try getting up at 5:00 a.m. to write every morning, that’s great. But if it doesn’t work, change your routine.
When you consistently reevaluate your habits, you become more mindful of your processes and you can become more objective about your writing. “As you iterate and observe your habits, you’ll become better able to shape your process and become more a more effective and productive writer,” Pereira explains. “This creates a certain distance between you and your work, distance that can help you gain a more objective perspective about your project.”
Finally, Pereira says that how you talk to yourself matters. “What we tell ourselves about our writing not only shifts our perspective about the work itself but shades how we view ourselves as creative people,” she says. She challenges writers to put some thought into how we talk about ourselves and our writing. Are your words strong and affirmative, or weak and hedging? Be deliberate and confident in how you talk to yourself.
