Today's post encompasses two essential elements of writing: brevity and creativity. I'll write briefly with a challenge for you to practice your creativity.
Everything you need to know about creativity is found in a single quote by G.K. Chesterton:
"Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a coloured pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
Your challenge is to lie in bed, stare at your ceiling and imagine what you would draw. Feel free to put your ideas into practice.
Today's Lesson? With writing, as with life, if you're not having fun, you're not doing it right.
Yours,
Buffy.
That was very clever Buffy. Thank you for the challenge. I shall have lots of fun conjuring up what to draw on that ceiling. For starters, perhaps I shall imagine I'm Leonardo Davinci and draw a few pictures of mountains and waterfalls, heaven and its glories. Perhaps a group photo of all the writers in CWD? Perhaps a picture of Buffy Greentree? :) As for brevity - the reminder is always needed. And about having fun ... thank you for that too. I shall try to make my writing journey as fun as possible this week. I admit it was becoming a wee bit heavy on my back. Thanks Buffy! :)
ReplyDeleteWell, you could always spend time imagining what your characters would draw on the ceiling; insightful into your characters and thus a legitimate use of writing time.
DeleteYes, having fun. I do. It's the business side that brings me down. Haha. Thanks for saying so much in so few words.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about this quote since I read it yesterday. My first thought was is he waking up or going to sleep? Though clearly sleep wasn't on his mind.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I read a book called, How to be Idle. The main premise was we are too busy to be creative. Chesterton obviously thought 'idle time' was beneficial for creativity.
As to when Chesterton was thinking of being in bed; the quote is from the beginning of a short essay called 'On Lying In Bed', and his argument was that we should lie in bed purely for the enjoyment of it (as part of a larger argument against people who make major morals minor, and minor (such as hygiene) major.)
DeleteSo I think he would appreciate a book called How to Be Idle.