5. You're not a genius...

Explicit content warning

05/26/23 • 30 min

... and that's okay.

If somebody were to ask you outright if you think you’re a creative genius, you’d probably be pretty comfortable saying no (and meaning it). You’re also probably not going to rationally think that this means you shouldn’t be creating anything.

And yet, most of us still have this feeling that our ideas and our work need to be "special," by which we mean "entirely unique yet universally brilliant."

This cultural narrative of genius is really not the most conducive to actually creating stuff, though. It’s part of what makes each story idea or writing session or first draft feel like a verdict on our value and significance as people. And it’s part of what makes us feel like we’re proving something with our writing instead of creating something.

This month, tune in to deconstruct the contemporary concept of genius and reframe it with a much, much older one—to see what might happen if we stop trying to be geniuses and start doing genius work instead.

(Plus, Mary shares some initial thoughts on last week’s SCOTUS decision against The Andy Warhol Foundation, and how genius intersects with legal issues around fair use. You know, just fun, chill summer vibes.)

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If you’re dreaming of a sustainable writing practice filled with more life, spirit, and deep magic, visit the link below to join the newsletter circle. You’ll get monthly inspiration and supportive, inspirited practices delivered right to your inbox.

https://www.inspiritedword.com/about/#the-praxis-circle

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Episode links:

Andrea Barrett

Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies, Elizabeth Winkler

Your Elusive Creative Genius (TED Talk), Elizabeth Gilbert

AWF v. Goldsmith (Pt. 1): Misapprehensions, Clarifications, and a Truth Bomb, Katherine de Vos Devine

Classical Roman religion

Religion in the Roman Empire, James B. Rives
Lararia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

... and that's okay.

And yet, most of us still have this feeling that our ideas and our work need to be "special," by which we mean "entirely unique yet universally brilliant."

_____

https://www.inspiritedword.com/about/#the-praxis-circle

_____

Episode links:

Andrea Barrett

Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies, Elizabeth Winkler

Your Elusive Creative Genius (TED Talk), Elizabeth Gilbert

AWF v. Goldsmith (Pt. 1): Misapprehensions, Clarifications, and a Truth Bomb, Katherine de Vos Devine

Classical Roman religion

Religion in the Roman Empire, James B. Rives
Lararia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

4. Does your story need a message?

What role does having a message really play in crafting a powerful, living story?

I often see two opposing bits of advice on this, depending on the type of story you’re writing. If you’re working on genre or mainstream writing, you’re probably going to hear this: Your story should have a message, and every single scene or section of your story should reinforce that message.

On the other hand, if you’re writing in a “literary” style, you’ll hear the opposite: You must avoid any kind of overt message and think primarily about the aesthetic shape and value of the story. By defining a clear message, you’ll end up stripping all the nuance out, and that’s where the real meaning is.

But both of these approaches to message in storytelling are... sort of missing the point.

In this episode, we’ll unpack how our core superpower as writers can help us make better decisions about crafting meaningful stories—and I share the single best piece of craft advice I’ve ever received.

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https://www.inspiritedword.com/about/#the-praxis-circle

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Episode links:

Byung-Chul Han, Non-things / Undinge

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

6. When creative flow meets creative dogma

In your writing practices, you may be chasing creative flow – that state where you get so immersed that time takes a pause while you hammer away at the keyboard.

(And then four hours later you’re like “Why do my wrists hurt, and why are the cats screaming like no one has ever fed them in their entire lives?”)

But your flow state has a sneaky cousin: dogmatic trance.

Trance states (like meditation, contemplation, and yes, creative flow) are a lot more common than we think. And trance and dogma sometimes go hand in hand.

Dogmatic trance teaches us to think and believe harmful things on autopilot. It’s why maladaptive creative mindsets are so hard to shift – no matter how much we distance ourselves intellectually from those mindsets.

This month, tune in to discover how to spot dogma hiding within your creative flow (and how to kick it out!).

_____

If you’re dreaming of a sustainable writing practice filled with more life, spirit, and deep magic, visit the link to join the newsletter circle. You’ll get monthly inspiration and supportive, inspirited practices delivered right to your inbox.

https://www.inspiritedword.com/about/#the-praxis-circle

_____

Episode links:

Ren Zatopek

Craft in the Real World, Matthew Salesses

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.