Comments on: Good intentions: writing with purpose http://michellerafter.com/2010/03/01/good-intentions-writing-with-purpose/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed Freelancing in the Digital Age Thu, 24 May 2012 13:21:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Jenny Cromie http://michellerafter.com/2010/03/01/good-intentions-writing-with-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-9638 Jenny Cromie Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:18:47 +0000 http://michellerafter.com/?p=4208#comment-9638 Great post Michelle! Doing what we do for a living takes a lot of dedication and focus. I develop a daily to-do list with my top three or four priorities and try to stay on task. There also is power in routine. Great post Michelle!

Doing what we do for a living takes a lot of dedication and focus. I develop a daily to-do list with my top three or four priorities and try to stay on task. There also is power in routine.

]]> By: Michelle V. Rafter http://michellerafter.com/2010/03/01/good-intentions-writing-with-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-9595 Michelle V. Rafter Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:12:16 +0000 http://michellerafter.com/?p=4208#comment-9595 Love the Twyla Tharp example. Agree 100 percent habit and ritual are important. There's something to be said for routine, especially when it comes to disciplines that are hard to master, like writing. Michelle Love the Twyla Tharp example. Agree 100 percent habit and ritual are important. There’s something to be said for routine, especially when it comes to disciplines that are hard to master, like writing.

Michelle

]]> By: Alison Garwood-Jones http://michellerafter.com/2010/03/01/good-intentions-writing-with-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-9586 Alison Garwood-Jones Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:56:20 +0000 http://michellerafter.com/?p=4208#comment-9586 I'm glad you posted this, Michelle. I've always compared professional writers to athletes, in terms of the discipline and routine it takes to succeed. We're like the rowers who get up at 5:00 am every day to pull their oars in the dark. It's lonely, but the power of intention gets us over the hump of wanting to go back to bed. Twyla Tharp, the American choreographer, writes about this in The Creative Habit. She too gets up before the birds, hails a taxi in the dark and tells the driver, “Take me to the Pumping Iron gym at 91st and First.” The workout is less important, she says, than “the ritual of the cab.” I’m glad you posted this, Michelle.

I’ve always compared professional writers to athletes, in terms of the discipline and routine it takes to succeed.

We’re like the rowers who get up at 5:00 am every day to pull their oars in the dark. It’s lonely, but the power of intention gets us over the hump of wanting to go back to bed.

Twyla Tharp, the American choreographer, writes about this in The Creative Habit. She too gets up before the birds, hails a taxi in the dark and tells the driver, “Take me to the Pumping Iron gym at 91st and First.” The workout is less important, she says, than “the ritual of the cab.”

]]> By: Michelle V. Rafter http://michellerafter.com/2010/03/01/good-intentions-writing-with-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-9583 Michelle V. Rafter Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:46:23 +0000 http://michellerafter.com/?p=4208#comment-9583 Great idea Marla. Today I have a ton of things on my own to-do list and am feeling very unfocused because of it. And when that happens I end up spending too much time on Twitter (LOL). So I'm turning on Twitter, putting a Post-it next to my screen to "Focus." Michelle PS - Another great idea to ask Val to photograph her tattoo: I'll ask her next class. Great idea Marla. Today I have a ton of things on my own to-do list and am feeling very unfocused because of it. And when that happens I end up spending too much time on Twitter (LOL). So I’m turning on Twitter, putting a Post-it next to my screen to “Focus.”

Michelle

PS – Another great idea to ask Val to photograph her tattoo: I’ll ask her next class.

]]> By: Marla Beck - The Relaxed Writer http://michellerafter.com/2010/03/01/good-intentions-writing-with-purpose/comment-page-1/#comment-9575 Marla Beck - The Relaxed Writer Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:55:59 +0000 http://michellerafter.com/?p=4208#comment-9575 Fantastic post, Michelle! Love the parallels you draw between working out & writing, and enjoyed "meeting" Valerie, too. (Hey, do you think she'd let you post a pic of that tattoo?) Last week I had a long to-do list and very little time to work. I sketched out a quick note to myself. It read: - Focus. - Do exactly what you need to do. - Clear, focused, relaxed. And every time I started to get off track I'd glance at my reminders to be intentional. Helped me out so much I think I'll recopy that sloppy note and keep it around for another week. Look forward to reading more, Marla (@MarlaBeck) Fantastic post, Michelle!

Love the parallels you draw between working out & writing, and enjoyed “meeting” Valerie, too. (Hey, do you think she’d let you post a pic of that tattoo?)

Last week I had a long to-do list and very little time to work. I sketched out a quick note to myself. It read:
– Focus.
– Do exactly what you need to do.
– Clear, focused, relaxed.

And every time I started to get off track I’d glance at my reminders to be intentional. Helped me out so much I think I’ll recopy that sloppy note and keep it around for another week.

Look forward to reading more,
Marla (@MarlaBeck)

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