This article made me think about two writers that I admire. Haruki Murakami and Orhan Pamuk. Both are very rigorous in their writing process. They treat it like a job and create routines around it. I think Orhan Pamuk even has his own office where he goes in to write. Both of them also say that it's not an enjoyable process every day, but that they need to put in the hours regardless.
I do think that your situation is different though. Imagine quitting your structured job just to put yourself immediately into another structured role, which you're just trying out. To be honest i think most people would feel weird boxing themselves in again immediately. I think trying out different things that you love and making time for curiosity and other parts of yourself will allow you to eventually come to writing in a place where you can be more diligent about it. Because you can then wholeheartedly say, this is what I want to be doing for X amount of hours in a day.
An anecdote from my own life from having taken ten months off of work, I genuinely feel more connected to the work that I do now because I feel more sure of the meaning and purpose behind it.
I'm glad you're still writing, and glad you're taking time for self-love (not just the type in Akihabara w a VR headset 😉)
Agree 100%. I had been treating writing more like my new job because I thought it was the way to give myself a chance to (one day) make a living as a writer. It also caused me to not enjoy it so much.
I’m coming back to a more fun/exploration period now. Asking myself more directly: who am I writing for, and what is the thing I want to share?
I also agree that this time off from "work" (although I’ve been working on my own stuff, it just happens to be not paid by anybody but my own savings) has brought more intentionality and purpose across all the things I do.
I’ve been splitting my time between many exploration areas: I’m learning how to DJ and I’m digging deep into doing things with AI. I have no idea yet of what the "thing" I’m going to be doing next is.
I’m also open to the fact that there might not be just ONE thing. The same way we don’t expect our partner to be our parent/friend/lover. Maybe each activity has a different role and place in our heart.
I hope you are doing great. Always happy to hear from you :)
PD: I only read What I Talk About When I Talk About Running from Murakami and I loved it. Which other do you recommend?
I also feel like there isn't just one thing, and that this is most likely the normal state of a human. We naturally have many interests but capitalism makes us choose just one thing and forces us to pour ourselves into it. Even this idea of being dedicated to a passion feels like a narrative we’re told so early. “What do you want to be when you grow up?”Society doesn't need people that are pretty good at a bunch of things. It would much rather have people that are really great at just one thing - it’s more efficient. But that doesn't feed our soul.
I've read that book by Murakami too. I liked the idea of physical endurance enhancing one’s mental endurance. If you haven't read any of his fiction, then I think Kafka on the Shore is a surreal standout. I do prefer other Japanese writers though, like Kenzaburo Oe or Kazuo Ishiguro. I'm currently in love with Pamuk's stuff though. The Black Book is such a trip to read. It centres around a newspaper columnist. You might dig it!
I started reading the book "Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World", you might find it interesting.
I'm every day more convinced that what is good for society, is rarely good for the individual. We are sacrificing (voluntarily or not) ourselves for "the greater good".
This article made me think about two writers that I admire. Haruki Murakami and Orhan Pamuk. Both are very rigorous in their writing process. They treat it like a job and create routines around it. I think Orhan Pamuk even has his own office where he goes in to write. Both of them also say that it's not an enjoyable process every day, but that they need to put in the hours regardless.
I do think that your situation is different though. Imagine quitting your structured job just to put yourself immediately into another structured role, which you're just trying out. To be honest i think most people would feel weird boxing themselves in again immediately. I think trying out different things that you love and making time for curiosity and other parts of yourself will allow you to eventually come to writing in a place where you can be more diligent about it. Because you can then wholeheartedly say, this is what I want to be doing for X amount of hours in a day.
An anecdote from my own life from having taken ten months off of work, I genuinely feel more connected to the work that I do now because I feel more sure of the meaning and purpose behind it.
I'm glad you're still writing, and glad you're taking time for self-love (not just the type in Akihabara w a VR headset 😉)
Agree 100%. I had been treating writing more like my new job because I thought it was the way to give myself a chance to (one day) make a living as a writer. It also caused me to not enjoy it so much.
I’m coming back to a more fun/exploration period now. Asking myself more directly: who am I writing for, and what is the thing I want to share?
I also agree that this time off from "work" (although I’ve been working on my own stuff, it just happens to be not paid by anybody but my own savings) has brought more intentionality and purpose across all the things I do.
I’ve been splitting my time between many exploration areas: I’m learning how to DJ and I’m digging deep into doing things with AI. I have no idea yet of what the "thing" I’m going to be doing next is.
I’m also open to the fact that there might not be just ONE thing. The same way we don’t expect our partner to be our parent/friend/lover. Maybe each activity has a different role and place in our heart.
I hope you are doing great. Always happy to hear from you :)
PD: I only read What I Talk About When I Talk About Running from Murakami and I loved it. Which other do you recommend?
I also feel like there isn't just one thing, and that this is most likely the normal state of a human. We naturally have many interests but capitalism makes us choose just one thing and forces us to pour ourselves into it. Even this idea of being dedicated to a passion feels like a narrative we’re told so early. “What do you want to be when you grow up?”Society doesn't need people that are pretty good at a bunch of things. It would much rather have people that are really great at just one thing - it’s more efficient. But that doesn't feed our soul.
I've read that book by Murakami too. I liked the idea of physical endurance enhancing one’s mental endurance. If you haven't read any of his fiction, then I think Kafka on the Shore is a surreal standout. I do prefer other Japanese writers though, like Kenzaburo Oe or Kazuo Ishiguro. I'm currently in love with Pamuk's stuff though. The Black Book is such a trip to read. It centres around a newspaper columnist. You might dig it!
I started reading the book "Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World", you might find it interesting.
I'm every day more convinced that what is good for society, is rarely good for the individual. We are sacrificing (voluntarily or not) ourselves for "the greater good".