I am going to own my obsession with the HGTV series House Hunters. I realize the show is scripted and there are underwhelming scandals to prove it but there is a bit of a secret sauce or at best a weird taste to bring you back just when you pull away. The couples denouncing a house based on paint color or merely design elements launch an entire category of jokes. These people seem to forget that paint color can be changed, wood floors can be installed, and they are welcome to select their own stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. The show markets a branded lack of creativty or imagination.
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Austin Kleon offers a definition of imagination that is metaphor inducing by its simplicity. Imagination is the ability to think of the word "chair" and envision one in your mind or sketch quickly on paper. I might think of an office chair or dining room chairs because that reflects my current mindspace. We are all thinking of chairs but the variety is an easy measure of our ability to imagine something out of thin air. Seems easy peasy but what if we apply this to your creative work life?
Austin's book Show Your Work (link below) is on my mind as I respond to emails and comments. I recently wrote a book Medical Writing For Smart People Because Dummies Shouldn't Write About Medicine so I am interacting with new writers or writers trying to start careers in medicine or science. Austin's book provides a framework or series of habits needed to stimulate creativity. I keep a stack of his books next to my computer because you can open them to any page and find something worthwhile. It might disappoint you to learn that full-time writers probably spend more time reading than actually writing. I schedule reading and research into my work-life so that I can answer my questions before I even formulate them. Yes. That is a thing. New writers seem to ask identical questions. How do I get started? Where can I find clients? How much money will I earn? How do I get published? The digital economy is quick to provide easy answers. The problem is the quick fix may not be the right answers for you. The book I wrote is not prescriptive by design. SImilar to Austin I want you to sketch out your own journey. But you will need to read. Read books you love, read books about health policy, standard deviations, and how to run a business. The answers to many of your questions live in their pages. |
Think about answering a question like what color should I paint my living room?
This Old House displays bold orange, red, green, and a pale blue. Benjamin Moore veers toward elegance with muted colors like smoked oyster or knoxville grey and not to be outdone, my favorite design website Houzz is less commital with an appreciation of a wide variety of hues. Do you see what I am getting at here? Very reputable professional sources of information all present a different view on a relatively simple question. My goal is to invite you to seek your own answers. I share a narrative that is uniquely my own with the hope that you will find your own perfect "color" that works for your personality, design style, and pallette. There aren't any short cuts. Do the creative work, read the books, and imagine--think of the space you will write and go occupy it...I think it was Zinsser that said, writing can't be taught but it can be learned...
Here is a link to Zinsser's famous simple guide ot nonfiction writing...
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