#878: How to Start When You're Stuck, Finish What You Begin, and Stop Waiting for Inspiration — Creative Advice from Elizabeth Gilbert, Seth Godin, Joyce Carol Oates, Anne Lamott and More

Overview

This episode dives into the craft of writing, featuring insights from renowned authors and creatives. Topics include overcoming perfectionism, building sustainable writing habits, and navigating the emotional challenges of creative work. The advice is applicable not only to writing but to any creative endeavor.

Notable Quotes

- Stick with the one you came to the dance with. — Elizabeth Gilbert, on resisting the temptation to abandon projects for newer, shinier ideas.

- Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor. — Anne Lamott, on silencing the inner critic and embracing messy first drafts.

- The brain is a stupid little dog that is easily trained. Do not confuse the mind with the brain. — Jerry Seinfeld, on systemizing creativity through structure and repetition.

📝 Choosing and Committing to Creative Projects

- Elizabeth Gilbert emphasizes the importance of discerning which ideas are worth pursuing. She advises treating ideas like pitches from potential collaborators, asking them to make a case for why they deserve your time and energy.

- She warns against abandoning projects prematurely for new ideas, likening it to leaving a marriage for the hottest girl at the dance, only to repeat the cycle of dissatisfaction.

- Gilbert suggests sticking with a project unless you have a proven track record of finishing what you start.

🐦 Embracing Imperfection and First Drafts

- Anne Lamott champions the concept of shitty first drafts, encouraging writers to focus on simply getting words on the page without worrying about quality.

- She shares the story behind her book Bird by Bird, inspired by her father’s advice to her brother: tackle overwhelming tasks one small step at a time.

- Lamott highlights the importance of silencing K-FKD Radio, the inner critic that constantly undermines creativity, and reframing perfectionism as the enemy of progress.

💡 Writing Without Waiting for Inspiration

- Joyce Carol Oates stresses the importance of discipline over inspiration. She believes that writing itself generates the mood and energy needed to continue.

- Oates advises writers to guard their time fiercely, particularly women, who are often asked to take on unpaid or distracting commitments.

- She suggests physical activity, like walking or running, as a way to clear the mind and prepare for focused writing sessions.

📅 Systemizing Creativity

- Jerry Seinfeld advocates for creating structured writing sessions with clear start and end times. He compares this to hiring a personal trainer: You’ve got to know when it’s going to end.

- He emphasizes the importance of rewarding yourself after completing a session, even if it’s just with cookies and milk.

- Seinfeld advises writers to accept their mediocrity and focus on consistent effort, as success is a game of tonnage — the more hours you put in, the better you get.

🔄 Revision, Consistency, and Overcoming Fear

- Mary Karr shares her experience of throwing out 1,200 pages of a memoir, emphasizing the necessity of ruthless revision. She advises writers to occupy a former self by vividly recalling sensory details and emotions.

- Brandon Sanderson focuses on building consistent writing habits, recommending daily or weekly word count goals and creating dedicated writing spaces. He also highlights the importance of finding a balance between outlining and discovery in storytelling.

- Seth Godin reframes writer’s block as a fear of bad writing and encourages writers to embrace bad drafts as a pathway to good work. He stresses the importance of merely doing the work without overthinking or dramatizing the process.