Working with clay can be kind of messy … but writing can be messy, too.
Creating a bowl on a potter’s wheel or a piece of sculpture with modeling clay is very different from combining groups of words into sentences that (eventually) form a story or an article. But there are a lot of similarities, too.
Here are some words that could be used to describe either writing OR working with clay:
♦️ Messy. ♦️ Time-consuming. ♦️ Requires concentration.
♦️ Good tools are needed. ♦️ Right-brained activity.
In this issue, I’m going to give a short description of each of these 5 similarities. Hopefully, this will help you understand the process behind your own writing … whether you’re writing fiction or case studies or business letters.
I’ve also shared some suggestions for possible solutions for reducing at least some of the mess.
Understanding your process can actually make the task of writing easier … and a lot more fun!
MESSY
Creating ANY kind of art is usually messy. If you’ve ever tried to supervise young children who are finger painting, creating “stamp art” out of raw potatoes, or using straws to blow streams of paint on pieces of paper, you know how messy things can get.
Writing an article doesn’t seem like it would be anywhere near as messy as a table where kids just spent an hour working on their art. But the writing process can get VERY messy. Sticky notes spread across a table, notebooks that have scribbles here and there, and digital files that were saved under more than one name — all are examples of “information clutter” (i.e., a mess).
SOLUTION: Decide ahead of time which notebook you’ll use for each project. (Even if you don’t have time to copy the info from a sticky note to your notebook, you can at least attach the sticky note to a page inside the notebook — so the info is all in one place.) Create separate folders for each project — both electronic and physical, if keeping hard copies helps you stay organized.
TIME-CONSUMING
Writing ANYTHING always requires “thinking” time. Bigger projects require more, smaller ones require less. But no matter what you’re writing, it’s good to estimate how long you think the project might take.
If it seems like the piece you’re working on is taking longer than you thought it would, don’t rush the process. If necessary, take a break and come back when your thinking is clearer.
(Of course, AI can speed up the writing process a LOT … but personally, I think it’s important to write the first draft of any project you may be working on WITHOUT AI. Doing this not only helps keep your thinking sharp, it can also strengthen your own “voice” [personality] in your writing.)
SOLUTION: Plan ahead for writing projects you know will take a while. If you’re just writing a letter or a short report summarizing a business meeting, you don’t need to set aside as much time. But when you know you’ll need to research or gather information from more than one source, it’s wise to factor in at least 2-3 hours for that project. Creating a brief outline can be helpful, too.
REQUIRES CONCENTRATION
I was in my late 20s when I discovered the joy that comes from being totally focused on a piece of art. I was painting a glaze onto a piece of greenware I had bought for my mother-in-law. Time flew by while I was working on that project because I was totally focused on it.
Good writing also requires concentration, especially at the beginning. Once you decide on the direction you want to take with your message, the rest of the letter (or article or whatever) often falls into place very quickly.
SOLUTION: The solution for this is similar to the one for “Time-Consuming.” Setting aside a chunk of time that allows you to focus on writing with no distractions will help you relax … which, in turn, boosts your creativity and ability to come up with better ways to express your ideas.
GOOD TOOLS NEEDED
Even those who have never shaped a hunk of clay or painted with acrylics, oils, or watercolor understand that it’s important for an artist to have the right tools in order to get good results.
But writing ALSO requires good tools. A good computer (whether laptop or desktop), ergonomic setup (with a chair and a monitor that can be raised or lowered, if necessary), easy-to-hold pens (red ones are my “go-to” tools for proofreading!), a reliable printer (ideally, one that allows you to print wirelessly), and plenty of bond paper and ink cartridges for printing.
SOLUTION: See my “Important Things” section below for info on another handy tool.
RIGHT-BRAINED ACTIVITY
I first heard about right-brain vs. left-brain activities a little over 30 years ago — from a book that had been recently revised and reprinted: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, written by Betty Edwards. (The latest [4th] edition was published in April 2012.)
The book explains how much our society emphasizes left-brain (logical, analytical, language, verbal) activities. Adding more right-brain activities to our lives can reduce stress, strengthen our memory, and improve our ability to reason and solve complex problems.
(I was surprised to learn that writing is classified as a “left-brain” activity, since it feels very “right-brained” to me. However, I think writing CAN turn into a right-brain activity if you do it often enough … or if you happen to be working on a project you’re excited about.)
SOLUTION: One way to have fun with words (and writing) is to purchase a magnetic poetry kit. Google this and you’ll find a wide variety of these kits!
