do the thing
Fiddery's i have art block rn has me rummaging my notes for resources on how to overcome it. I will say that taking breaks is good, but it doesn't appear as if she wants her break to continue. No matter the cause of her blockage, I agree that just waiting for it to pass is an option. However, does she have to wait any longer? She notes how she achieves enjoyment and true happiness through self-indulgent drawing itself. Wouldn't resuming drawing commence the same way no matter how long she waits?
That line of reasoning is a nice segue into Prakhar's Doing the thing is doing the thing. Compared to how many different things he said aren't doing the thing, here's what he said is doing the thing:
Failing while doing the thing is doing the thing.
Doing it badly is doing the thing.
Doing it timidly is doing the thing.
Doing a small part of the thing is doing the thing.
The associated Hacker News submission surrounds Prakhar's post with supportive context and alternate perspectives.
Multiple users noted that his post is very similar to Loopy's Things That Aren't Doing the Thing. The latter is not only more concise as a whole, but describes doing the thing through a comprehensive one-liner:
The only thing that is doing the thing is doing the thing.
Back to commentary on Prakhar's post, TheAlchemist wrote:
"Doing it badly is doing the thing."
This one works for me, and I've learned it from a post on HN. Whenever I feel stuck or overthink how to do something, just do it first - even with all the flaws that I'm already aware of, and if it feels almost painful to do it so badly. Then improve it a bit, then a bit, then before I know it a clear picture start to emerge... Feels like magic.
black_puppydog replied:
"Everything worth doing is worth doing badly."
Got me through many a rough spot.
nlawalker replied to TheAlchemist:
My two favorite bits of wisdom in this vein:
Dan Harmon's advice on writer's block: https://www.reddit.com/r/Screenwriting/comments/5b2w4c/dan_harmons_advice_on_writing_and_writers_block/
You know how you suck and you know how everything sucks and when you see something that sucks, you know exactly how to fix it, because you're an asshole. So that is my advice about getting unblocked. Switch from team "I will one day write something good" to team "I have no choice but to write a piece of shit" and then take off your "bad writer" hat and replace it with a "petty critic" hat and go to town on that poor hack's draft and that's your second draft.
"The Gap" by Ira Glass: https://www.reddit.com/r/Screenwriting/comments/c98jpd/the_gap_by_ira_glass_useful_resource_for/
Your taste is why your work disappoints you... it is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions.*
tclancy replied to nlawalker:
Henry Rollins too.
'“One day, I’m gonna write that novel.” Pal? You better start tomorrow morning because the right time never happens. It’s when you boldly determine it. It’s like running on a rainy day. You’re fine once you get out there. The only difficulty is getting off the couch when you lace your shoes up.'
Let's go full circle back to Fiddery's dilemma. Sometimes it takes drawing shit to get back to drawing ships. Sometimes it takes settling for whatever to build up to craziness. Sometimes it takes doing the thing to find the feeling for it once again. If you have an art block that you want gone, I hope you find the gameplan and courage to get crafting as soon as possible.