Default belief: there’s no creation without inspiration.
The ideas aren’t flowing…I’ll get to it later when I’m more inspired.
I’m just not feeling it right now…best to wait until I get in the zone.
And then what happens? Usually, not much.
Inspiration is a fickle, flighty thing.
Waiting on it is like waiting for dinner, without going shopping or turning on the stove.
For whatever you're looking to make these days—a habit, an art piece, a project—there's a better, albeit harder, way: showing up, staying with it, and putting your butt in the chair (as Steven Pressfield famously advises in The War of Art. He also said to put your ass where your heart wants to be).
It’s consistency that gives inspiration an address to know where to find you.
It’s the tiny creative acts of noticing and collecting and sharing, that when repeated, make creativity happen.
As sculptor Beverly Pepper said,
“I go to my studio every day. Some days work comes easily. Other days nothing happens. Yet on the good days the inspiration is only an accumulation of all the other days, the non-productive ones.”
Inspiration is only an accumulation.
Or to put it another way, inspiration is the compound effect of all your creative attempts. The key is to keep attempting.
Upgraded belief: there’s no creation without repetition.
Quote
"In theory, consistency is about being disciplined, determined, and unwavering.
In practice, consistency is about being adaptable. Don't have much time? Scale it down. Don't have much energy? Do the easy version. Find different ways to show up depending on the circumstances. Let your habits change shape to meet the demands of the day.
Adaptability is the way of consistency.”
—James Clear
Question
What if it’s true that even the smallest creative acts can compound?
What would it do for you if you if you were to trust this?
Poem
Sudden Hymn in Winter
What if, after years of trial, a love should come and lay a hand upon you and say, this late, your life is not a crime. Joseph Fasano (from The Last Song of the World, BOA Editions, 2024)
Thanks for reading,
Lance Odegard
unstucking.co
PS—keep going.
Image credit: Jack Butcher, Visualize Value
Hi there! 👋 My name’s Lance - I’m a writer, coach, and learning designer from Vancouver BC, Canada. In this publication, you’ll find a growing archive of resources for those looking for creativity fuel to keep moving and making. Thanks for stopping by.
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Thank you Lance. Today I listened as well as read, it's fun to hear your voice.