The presence of choice is often highly valued.
More choices, after all, equate to more opportunities.
But too many options will inevitably lead to choice paralysis, as any scrolling through streaming services and never selecting something can attest to.
So, at times, making a decision, right or wrong, becomes the most important choice.
What is there to write? Or say?
I don’t have a clue. I don’t know what to write.
But write. I try to write every day. And that’s habit.
Some of us do the bare minimum. It’s all that’s required. Why would you need to do more?
But some of us – they surpass the minimum every time.
And they are, in general, unforgettable.
For me, I like writing. I like the process of it. I love words. Words are infinitely interesting to me, and their interplay fascinates me. I enjoyed reading Susan Sontag for that very reason, her grasp and use of the English language captivated me.
Her style isn’t my style, though. I like to just write what comes to mind. It’s easier for me than talking, since it gives my brain that extra second to process, something I sometimes neglect when speaking, probably from talking too quickly, or just not giving myself the benefit of thought before opening my mouth.
Which probably adds to why I enjoy writing so much: it doesn’t leave me with regret, wishing I’d said something different.
So, how can you be productive? This is where I get into trouble a lot, because 1) what does productivity even look like, and 2) how long can you reasonably be productive before your energy begins to run dry. The law of diminishing returns.
There are a lot of concepts that overlap here, and it’s difficult to prioritize one over the other, though plenty of people try to tell us to do just that.
I used to have a sticky note on my computer – “Are you being productive? Or just busy?”
It seems that we often conflate the two. I know I do. Because, for as long as I can recall, I’ve been very good at being busy.
Productive? That’s a horse apiece. These days I’m trying to catch myself before the momentum decides for me.
I write. I might say I want to write better.
I travel. I might say I want to travel better.
I eat. I might say I want to eat better.
I live. I might say I want to live better.
What are these betters? What do they mean?
What does writing better look like?
For me, it means that I want to write in the voice that I believe I have. That I would want to read myself.
I understand maybe that’s not for everybody. Being better isn’t about being better for everyone.
But for the ones who are waiting for you, being better, it’s more than enough.
Write something. Anything. Create. Sometimes, that’s all it takes.
Where does it come from?
When I’m writing I try to think of topics, and sometimes they come very easily. Most of the time, not so much.
So, I pull from what I know.
This goes back to filling the well – giving yourself input (reading, observing, whatever) so that you can be open to inspiration when it’s time to work.
We like to think of rightness as black or white. You’re right, you’re wrong. Clean, simple, settled.
Every so often, maybe it really is that simple. But in my experience, those moments are rare. Most disagreements live in murkier territory than we want to admit.
