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Transcript

Taking Control by Giving It Up · The Daily Writer

• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Daily Writer, where we share a lesson each day to help you cultivate the habits for creative success.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: There is a constant push and pull to the writer's life.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: On the one hand, we want to have control over every aspect of our writing and creativity.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: We want to share our voice.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: We want to publish in a way that suits our goals.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: We want control over distribution and marketing.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: We want to avoid being under the thumb of any entity or any force that would limit our options.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: On the other hand, there is something to be said for giving up control, isn't there?
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: Whenever we try to maintain too much control, it hampers the creative process.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: We lose the ability to get into a state of flow.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: After all, creativity is not a force that wants to be tightly controlled.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: It's a little bit wild, which is a key part of the mystery of the creative process.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: This is why dealing with writer's block is such an important concern for writers.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: When we try to exert too much control, the creative force just gets stalled out.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Natalie Goldberg once said, Our ideas and intentions can mask and cover up a story.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: There is a life force that will declare itself if you let it get out of the way.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: So my question to you is, are you standing in the way of the life force that wants to express itself in your writing?
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: Is it possible, even a tiny bit, that your own best efforts to control the outcome are actually counterproductive?
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: If so, don't feel too bad.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: We're all prone to this.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: All writers are control freaks to some extent.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's part of our identity, let's just face it.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: But if we can manage to step aside and let creativity do its work within us, we will find many treasures that would otherwise be lost.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for listening to today's episode.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: For more, you can visit us at dailywriterlife.com.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks, and I'll see you tomorrow.