Discipline Over Inspiration

When I show up for my haircut appointment at my local barbershop, my barber doesn’t say, “Hey, I don’t feel like cutting your hair today. Can you return when I’m feeling inspired?” He shows up and does the work.

Amateur writers only write when they’re inspired. Writing when you’re inspired is easy. Writing when you’re not inspired is hard. And that’s what separates amateurs from professionals.

One lesson I take away from writing every day is that inspiration isn’t reliable, creativity is a discipline. The hard part is letting go of my ego, letting go of the need to write something clever or original, and instead let the words flow. That’s when creativity emerges.