I'm looking to improve myself in this area as well. For me, as an emotional (creative) writer, reading your statement—"Showing up consistently matters more than waiting for inspiration"—is motivating. Thank you for that.

@Sloan Brian I do not...

@Kirsten Ivatts Thanks so much 🙏🏾

For me... (I don't write novels. I write songs and poetry). ... when I have to rewrite something, especially if it's more than once, I drop it. Nevermind it. Dismissed. Something isn't right... 🤔 ... which I equate to my thoughts trying to flow against the stream. "The problem... the direction the story." As you said above. The wrong direction. I tend to reconsider my thoughts, and begin again. For me, if the writing doesn't naturally reflect what's going on inside (thoughts... emotions...) then it's not the best time to formulate on paper. Emphasis on, "naturally".

@Vera Sephora Great question!! Thank you for that! For me, I can tell when I'm really ready to write because I can literally feel it. It's the feeling of, "I NEED to write!" It tugs at me internally, and then it's either, lines upon lines just keep popping up in my head seemingly at random, or a single or a few lines keep repeating in my mind and get stuck there as if from a song that's already been written. It's like, Ok I need to go ahead and write this out...!! Everything just flows from there once I begin writing.

As a Poet, I tend to write what I feel, as I feel it. I generally don't go back and edit or revise anything, as I prefer to keep my writings with their most sincere expression. I have considered how I could make my writings "better" with revisions, but I do feel (perhaps, more) connected to them in their natural state. What are your thoughts on that? 🤔

@Naomi Inks Lol, I love that question! I appreciate all the insight from your perspective- I understand and agree with all of it. To your question, my response to older writings can vary greatly lol. It's extremely rare that I would revise an old poem, but I do believe the growth from then to now is clearly reflected lol. I think it's a mindset thing. I don't tend to evaluate my writings and consider how I could make them better. When I look at older writings, revisions are not usually on my mind. I'm typically writing as an expression of some raw emotion, and to re-read older writings is moreso to revisit those experiences. I suppose this could be the Creative vs the Professional...

@Kieana Carda oh noooo! Yeah I totally understand not replicating poetry. That's part of the reason I tend to physically write on paper 😭

@Kieana Carda omgoooossshhh! 😭