When Do You Stop Doubting and Recognize Your Master Work? – Daily Quote

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Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci represent two exceptionally creative minds. Masters, geniuses, prolific renaissance men, they were also famous for abandoning their work and leaving potentially more impressive masterpieces unfinished. A pair of monumental frescos commissioned for the great hall of Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio are prime examples. Leonardo’s The Battle of Anghiari and Michelangelo’s Battle of Cascina were started in 1504 and abandoned a year later. They never completed the frescos.

Every writer, architect, painter, and entrepreneur has experienced failure. Failing teaches us, even if the lesson is how not to create. The title Master implies we finish what we start. Finishing, calling a piece complete, might prove to be more difficult than admitting defeat. Creating masterful art is not for mortals or weaklings. Anything crafted by humans will be flawed. Some critics argue flaws accentuate beauty. Flawless execution, whatever that is, they say, leaves the viewer bored.

How do we decide were incomplete ends and masterful imperfection begins? How many drafts do you endure before a story is polished? When do we edit the unique voice and soul from our novel? There is no easy answer, and passing time compounds the difficulties. Your best work from years ago can feel worse than your first draft today.

When is your work done?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – September 15

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2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 259 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The Trouble of Careless Language Erased by the Power of Magical Words – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments
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Is it any wonder our ancestors developed speech? Hand gestures, while they convey meaning, have a limited range. Where did languages originate? Do words define a language, or do languages dictate words? What was the first word ever spoken? Was it a name, an obscenity, or a sound signifying “Stop, Danger ahead?” It’s all speculation, and while linguists float many theories, they are, most likely, all wrong.

The dichotomy supports the idea that words are magical creatures. A single word can cut to the core and divide people into irreconcilable sides. Conversely, uttering a different word soothes the savage beast and makes everyone smile. Words can sing or sting, elevate or oppress, bind us to tradition or free our minds to create change.

They possess energy and power. Vocabulary stocks the toolbox with ways to express the abstract thoughts swimming in our heads. Without them, great ideas live unfulfilled lives, trapped in an imaginary world far from reality. Lacking communication, we have limited perceptions, and with it, the universe is our domain. What we do with the words we learn is an awesome responsibility, one that demands we remain mindful of their impact.

Which words will you choose today?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – September 14

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 2 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 258 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The Quest to Eliminate Judgment from Your Personal Handwriting – Daily Quote

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my-handwriting-was-nothing-to-write-home-about-and-i-had-this-idea-that-calligraphy-was-like-taking-latin-in-high-school_-that-it-was-one-of-the-bricks-the-building-bricks-that-you-had-t

It rarely happens anymore, but when it does, I freeze. Someone asks me to complete a form, sign a birthday card, or jot a note. Heaven forbid when a document requires my actual signature. My longhand is pretty much illegible to anyone but me. In school, my classmates never asked to borrow my notes more than once. It made sense to me, but when I looked at their elegant script, I hid my paper. I grew tired of losing exam points and experiencing the walk of shame to the teacher’s desk to explain that I had the correct answer.

I rejoiced when teachers required typed submissions since the font removed judgment and censor. Times New Roman masked my personality, and the personal secrets revealed in my script. My words stood on their merit, untainted by the reader’s assumptions and their inability to decipher my scrawl. The ink color, the angle of my slant, the size of my loops, or my sentences rising as they cross the page no longer came into question.

My handwriting always draws comments, so I print in self-defense. Each word is composed of all capitals. I distinguish my capitalized letters by making them taller. I am proficient and print faster than most people write. My hand screams with annoyance, and it conveys my distaste of writing with a pen for others to analyze. Then the questions begin. Are you an architect? An engineer? A scientist? When they look at my John Hancock, they ask if I am a doctor.

What does your handwriting reveal about you?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – September 13

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 257 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Your Next Steps Are Clear When You Listen to Your Heart – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 10 Comments
always-do-whatevers-next.-george-carlin

The advice to do whatever comes next sounds easy, but it may be easier said than done. Life is complex and ever-changing, never static, or simple. But that complexity creates beauty, opportunities, and makes us unique individuals. So, how do you determine your course of action? You can apply logic, plot a path, construct a timeline, and develop detailed plans. Your map shows you exactly how to proceed. Still, you hesitate, claiming your heart isn’t in it. You might be correct.

Having doubts may signal a misalignment between your head and your heart. These are the moments to return to the drawing board and reexamine your motives. Why are you rushing? Do you need to heal? Do you lack information? Or are you afraid of taking the first steps and committing to your project? The way forward calls for clarity of your intentions and motivations. Consult with others, a mentor, a parent, a therapist, or a trusted friend, knowing they can’t answer your questions. Rather, use them as sounding boards to help you sort your emotions. Write, journal, and make your thoughts visible, then contemplate the validity of your words, and seek your truth.

Be kind to yourself and drop self-judgment. Making great wine requires grapes, a recipe, and with the work completed, what remains demands patience and waiting. It takes as long as it takes. While you wait, distract yourself with other activities, clean the house, workout, reflect, and create space for the answers to unfold from the depths of your heart.

What is next on your list?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – September 12

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 2 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 256 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

A Cup of Tea and A Healthy Break Are Your Keys to Productivity – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 5 Comments
healthy-breaks-can-hit-the-reset-button-in-your-brain-restoring-some-of-the-glucose-and-other-metabolic-nutrients-used-up-with-deep-thought.-a-healthy-break-is-one-in-which-you-allow-you.

It may have been a short work week, but it has been a long and busy none the less. Lots of work, and more than a few late nights and early mornings have left my batteries low. During the week, I take a break every 52 minutes, but you can only sustain the pace for so long. What I need now is less work and more time doing nothing.

I have learned downtime is just as important as working hard. You know, work hard, play hard. It is time for a relaxing cup of tea, a blazing fire in the fire pit, a good book, and perhaps a nap. No, I am sure there will be a nap. Then I know I can return to my work and be productive.

How often do you take breaks and recharge?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – September 11

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 2 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 255 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

Try it, and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer