Wednesday 30 May 2012

Note to Self

Focus.

Write. Or take things in.

Get inspired. Watch 'Inside the Actors Studio'. And Oscar speeches. Listen to podcasts.

Read screenplays. Watch movies. Find writers, directors and actors who resonate. Learn about their style, their journeys, their technique.

Learn more about how to write. Read writers and articles and books that challenge you. Discover new words.

Write down new ideas every day. Sometimes force ideas out, other times be content with having no ideas.

Dream. Sit in a room and do nothing. Ignore the urge to check your phone. See what the moment you're in has to offer.

Look at the sky, look at people, close your eyes.

Spend whole days writing. Spend whole days reading. Spend whole days in the cinema. Spend whole days discovering some place new.

Don't be a hack. Don't write within your comfort zone. Believe you can write whatever needs to be written. Don't be afraid that you can't be technical enough or funny enough or mainstream enough or artistic enough. You are enough. More than enough.

Have fun. Writing should be joyful, there are no rules.

Be in pain. Writing hurts because you care so much.

Write and read and discover people who are like you. Commit to doing better. To doing your best work.

Do your best work at every moment that you can.

Follow these steps, for they're what you really care about in regards to your art. The time for distraction is over.

Care to share?

7 comments:

  1. Bookmarking this post to re-visit someday. And definitely passing it to an interested friend.

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  2. "Dream. Sit in a room and do nothing. Ignore the urge to check your phone. See what the moment you're in has to offer.Look at the sky, look at people, close your eyes.Spend whole days writing. Spend whole days reading. Spend whole days in the cinema. Spend whole days discovering some place new."

    Best part of a great post, to me.

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  3. I always love coming to your blog for inspiration.

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  4. Thank you. Thank you so much.

    I want this whole post written in bold on my bedroom wall so I can see it when I wake up every morning. That's how good it is.

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  5. As I mentioned on twitter this is just excellent advice. I don't feel my words could do it justice, but the simple and directness of it all is wise and appreciated.

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  6. I'm going to bookmark this post. Sage advice!

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