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Baker Beth's avatar

Solid practical points - thank you. I am always a bit amazed by writers who say they spend all their time writing or they have a very specific schedule. I tried both and found that I struggled with fresh ideas and writing became a chore. I find that I long to write and express myself better when I break away and let my mind expand, like with your running. I'm also a baker and find that so many ideas flow when I am using my hands. It also keeps me excited about getting those ideas on paper. I'll definitely check out the Q & A on the 31st.

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Christopher Landriau's avatar

Reading this inspires me to apply what I've learned about musical practice to writing.

I love the running metaphor, because it so clearly illustrates that "practice" is as much about problem-finding as problem-solving. Vaguely defined problems usually don't result in effective practice! As a singer teacher, I see this all the time. Difficulty singing is reflexively attributed to not having "talent" or a "good voice," or being "tone deaf." In reality, there are many things that can interfere with singing--from physical things like muscle coordination, air flow, or resonating spaces, to emotional fears based on past, negative experiences. I've noticed that when people say "I can't sing," it's often because they haven't identified a challenge that they can actually work on.

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