Creativity's a funny thing - it can't be forced, only coaxed out of the gravitational pull of the outside world, and I find a gentle, compassionate approach to discipline's most effective.

In the past, I’ve told myself ok, I’m sitting down and writing for two hours, say. And sometimes I’d do it and feel peachy-keen. Other times, I’d hit a wall, and rather than appreciating the work already put in, I’d focus instead on falling short of the arbitrary time goal and feel like a failure.

Over the course of this year, I’ve realized that writing good stuff everyday makes me happy, not writing for a set amount of time or even being especially prolific. So, I sit down every morning, write until I feel my mind’s wandering, then shut it down. Sometimes that’s four hours, sometimes 20 mins, but I’m noticing my work's objectively better, exponentially more honest. And I can’t wait to dive back in the following morning.