When I have a piece of writing in mind, what I have, in fact, is a mental bucket: an attractor for and generator of thought. It’s like a thematic gravity well, a magnet for what would otherwise be a mess of iron filings. I’ll read books differently and listen differently in conversations. In particular I’ll remember everything better; everything will mean more to me. That’s because everything I perceive will unconsciously engage on its way in with the substance of my preoccupation. A preoccupation, in that sense, is a hell of a useful thing for a mind.

James Somers • More People Should Write

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With a steady writing and creation habit, it narrows my attention to things that I’ve written about, am curious about or want to learn more about. By taking notes on these things, it enables me to learn things in a way I never did before.

Paul Millerd • #100: We Need 100x More Creators Online

Whether it’s to organize ideas for a project (me); to have material to turn to for inspiration when you get stuck (Adam Alter); to save idea-sparks without getting distracted by them in the moment (Steven Johnson and Dan Pink); or to create a receptacle of fleeting impressions (Rachel Ingalls), I think having a repository for interesting things you... See more

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You should write because when you know that you’re going to write, it changes the way you live. I’m thinking about a book I read called Field Notes on Science & Nature , a collection of essays by scientists about their notes. It’s hard to imagine a more tedious concept — a book of essays about notes ? — but in execution

James Somers • JamesSomers – More people should write

JamesSomers – More people should write

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James Somers • More People Should Write

Editing is easier when you know the patterns_

When it comes to essay writing, the idea of “patterns over process,” is just as relevant.

Tootzi instilled a philosophy of “all that exists is the artifact that’s on the table.” It doesn’t matter if your ideas come from your mind, your heart, your soul, your belly button, the tops of mountains, a bottle ... See more

Michael Dean • The Secret Architecture of Great Essays

When I was younger, I was never this lucky. It is partly because I was less skilled. But it is also partly because I would interrupt the nonconscious processing back then. Unintentionally, I would tell my brain to focus on something else—a conflict in a TV series I was watching, for instance. I would watch an episode before bed, and the cliffhanger... See more

Henrik Karlsson • Almost Everyone I’ve Met Would Be Well-Served Thinking More About What to Focus On

When you find something that resonates, its use is not always immediately apparent. A line in a song might be the seed for your next coding project or inspire the title for the book you’re writing. It can be difficult to predict how something that resonates today might be useful in the future.

Paul Millerd • #100: We Need 100x More Creators Online

David Epstein • Don't Let Good Ideas Get Away

James Somers • JamesSomers – More people should write

JamesSomers – More people should write

James Somers • More People Should Write

Michael Dean • The Secret Architecture of Great Essays

Henrik Karlsson • Almost Everyone I’ve Met Would Be Well-Served Thinking More About What to Focus On

Sari Azout • The End of Productivity