Thank you for this, Aditi. So many takeaways here. For someone who is a very slow creator, who agonises and doubts for months over a piece, who rarely sends her work out, this is a much-needed validation. Enjoying, loving the process and staying in the realm of creation is the best gift this accidental meandering into the world of writing has given me. And I'm lucky to have mentors like you 💖
It's a long-term relationship, yes! Like most things, people, I love, there's always a fair amount of regret, bitterness, and shame too. But it never diminishes any of that urgency or agency. Moments when I let go of trying to hold on I find my footing again with a new piece of work. So much better for our mental health as writers for it to be emphasised that we'll never lost our ability to make. It's just an incubation period sometimes, and that's it's own journey too
"if you hate writing so much, then don't write." this painted a dozen pictures for me, of how much i love the creative act, all of its playfulness and its struggles, down to each bit, and I couldn't possibly separate my love for the process from the product. There's such great inner peace and security in that love, as a writer. My deepest gratitude for all that you write about process. Can never pick your brain enough about it. This is by far one of the more wholesome newsletters I've read in a long long time.
Currently, I'm in a space where my projects have been paused, and with good reason. The yearning to return to them, to 'finish' them often sends me into a furious frenzy which I have come to realise derails all effort at being creative. Your beautiful thoughts on the process, on the slowness that bakes the product to the required degree, the patience, the wait, and finally, when things fall into place, the birth of the product, are just what I needed. How well they resonate with me. Thank you.
Process over product. Been a strong believer in this for years, even though my thoughts oscillate between churning something for the algo monster often and then deciding to starve it cos I need all the time in the world to creat. Your words so crispy and clearly articulates everything running through my head. I am excited to see how your 6 month poetry workshop shapes up. And if everything aligns, I would love to be a part of it.
Yes to process over product, even though I love the product. But the process itself is rewarding, is important. The product is what I share with the world; the process is my private love, my deepest passion, all the effort that no one else will ever see.
thank you so much Aditi for reinforcing and reminding the value of process in times of self doubt and loneliness in the process way of doing, learning and creating. miss our office hour and other discussion sessions/workshops at Makespace, where these questions could be discussed and a hope in process could continue to be alive:)
Thank you for this, Aditi. So many takeaways here. For someone who is a very slow creator, who agonises and doubts for months over a piece, who rarely sends her work out, this is a much-needed validation. Enjoying, loving the process and staying in the realm of creation is the best gift this accidental meandering into the world of writing has given me. And I'm lucky to have mentors like you 💖
It's a long-term relationship, yes! Like most things, people, I love, there's always a fair amount of regret, bitterness, and shame too. But it never diminishes any of that urgency or agency. Moments when I let go of trying to hold on I find my footing again with a new piece of work. So much better for our mental health as writers for it to be emphasised that we'll never lost our ability to make. It's just an incubation period sometimes, and that's it's own journey too
"if you hate writing so much, then don't write." this painted a dozen pictures for me, of how much i love the creative act, all of its playfulness and its struggles, down to each bit, and I couldn't possibly separate my love for the process from the product. There's such great inner peace and security in that love, as a writer. My deepest gratitude for all that you write about process. Can never pick your brain enough about it. This is by far one of the more wholesome newsletters I've read in a long long time.
Currently, I'm in a space where my projects have been paused, and with good reason. The yearning to return to them, to 'finish' them often sends me into a furious frenzy which I have come to realise derails all effort at being creative. Your beautiful thoughts on the process, on the slowness that bakes the product to the required degree, the patience, the wait, and finally, when things fall into place, the birth of the product, are just what I needed. How well they resonate with me. Thank you.
Process over product. Been a strong believer in this for years, even though my thoughts oscillate between churning something for the algo monster often and then deciding to starve it cos I need all the time in the world to creat. Your words so crispy and clearly articulates everything running through my head. I am excited to see how your 6 month poetry workshop shapes up. And if everything aligns, I would love to be a part of it.
Yes to process over product, even though I love the product. But the process itself is rewarding, is important. The product is what I share with the world; the process is my private love, my deepest passion, all the effort that no one else will ever see.
thank you so much Aditi for reinforcing and reminding the value of process in times of self doubt and loneliness in the process way of doing, learning and creating. miss our office hour and other discussion sessions/workshops at Makespace, where these questions could be discussed and a hope in process could continue to be alive:)