In critic Jim Holt’s New York Times review of Harold Evans’ Why Writing Well Matters, he offers this quote from the author: “Writing well is a two-stage process: (1) write not so well; (2) fix it.” This applies to the entire creative process. Too often, people imagine creative professionals sitting around waiting for lightning to strike. In fact, the best thing you can do is to start. Put words or pictures on paper or onscreen. Rethink. Revise. Repeat. It’s not as sexy as having that big “a-ha” moment (and those do arrive on occasion), but it’s the secret to being consistently creative and productive. You just have to start.
