How do you know you’re doing the best you can?
This is a question that circles around our heads all day. Mostly, these are questions of self-doubt, unproductiveness with a pinch of pathos. Creators are most likely to have imposter syndrome. No writer has ever liked their first draft, and no artist was satisfied with their first stroke of paint. We never like what we create even though we spend hours/months, sometimes even years building it.
This imposter syndrome takes a higher spike when we read works of famous authors like Dostoevsky and Kafka. Sometimes I would keep a book down in shame, knowing I would never be able to write a line half as good as them. But I never stopped creating because art is never about replicating what is already there — it is about making people feel.
Soon I started journalling and reading about how these artists were consistent when it came to writing. I heard their interviews, read their journals and realized most of them followed a particular routine.
For a long time, I believed that routine is very mundane and makes us feel like a slave in our own lives. I was so wrong! Practices keep us motivated and disciplined. These artists followed the same routine each day, and that is how they could keep up with creating art. Even they hated it sometimes — Hemingway did not wish to write but still wrote what came to his mind; Murakami sometimes wanted to sleep long but woke up at 4 AM anyway. Routines can be more arduous than we imagine, but the key is you got to do it every day.
Here are some habits of artists that I hope to follow. I hope they can help you too! Using these habits, these artists prove that they were no prodigies but worked hard to achieve greatness!
- Stephen King and his 6 pages a day
The famous horror writer who created ‘IT’ said he takes his writing very seriously and makes sure he writes 6 pages a day. This helps him maintain his creativity and make writing a part of his routine. There are times when he dislikes his writing, but the point is not to write flawlessly; it is to write 6 pages and get in a flow of writing. - Jodi Picoult and her blank page
She said one line, and that would always stay with me — “You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page” That’s it. Your writer’s block is valid, but if continued for long, it can last for long. . Write about whatever idea you get — maybe that would lead you to that one good idea! - WH Auden and his sign of ambition
According to Auden, routine is a sign of ambition. His day consisted of eating, sleeping, writing and solving crosswords. He believed himself to be a “modern stoic” and stated that with a disciplined timetable comes disciplined passion. - Nathan Englander and avoiding distractions
Most of the time, it is true that we are surrounded by technologies and spend our time scrolling mindlessly. 5 minutes into the work, we pick our phones and recheck them. With such distractions, it is tough to get serious work get done. Nathan suggests taking away all these distractions and throwing them off the window (ironically, don’t throw away your cell phones, or do?) Take these distractions away, and you’ll find yourself doing a 2-hour task in half the time. - Hemingway and the morning bird
His writing routine is famous among the writing community. He wrote every morning. As soon as the light hit his face, he would pick up his pen and start writing. In the morning, the surroundings are relaxed, and it is bright outside. The freshness in the air is perfect motivation. - John Steinback and brute force
You would panic if I saw you have to write 400 pages. If I say you have to write 1 page every day, it won’t look as bad. Your mind sees large numbers and gets scared easily. Bluff it in believing by rephrasing your goals. Once your goals look achievable, you can even pull the stars. - A.J Jacob and his trunk of ideas
Jacob’s ideology is simple. He said if you can’t get ideas — force yourself to get them. Some of these ideas are notorious and won’t come quickly. Until and unless you push your mind and pull your hair — get as many ideas as possible. - Bernard Malamud and his belief
Something which calms me when I think of these habits too much. He said, “Eventually everyone learns his or her own best way,” and I believe it is the best advice. Someone else’s way might not work for you. Maybe you can’t wake up at 6 and write before having a cup of coffee. Perhaps you can’t sit at your desk for 4 hours straight to squeeze out the word. However, while trying these different things, you will find a new way, which will work for you the best!
While I still fail to inculcate these habits some days, I never forget to get back on track soon. Making a routine takes great effort and can be challenging. But greatness never came easy, did it?
I write about literature and everything which interest me, find me on — red cloves
