Creative Process

Hillman is here arguing for a kind of work without working, a work without output or measure or profit, a work that is its own sake in the sense of something that exists both within and outside itself, as of the dreamer and the dream. And, I think, he is letting us know that this is a work that is already within us, that we already know how to... See more

The best way to not let a project’s spectacular success get you too high or its spectacular failure get you too low, Ryan likes to say, is to be already working on the next project by the time the many deciding factors decide that success or failure.

There’s also something to be said about collating and curating in the slow writing process—facts, knowledge, smells, descriptions, stories, passport stamps, headlines—until the collection becomes part of the transformation process. Through acute and critical attention, away from the drive of production, toward the singularity of studying a branch,... See more

Then I sit in silence, with my eyes closed, for about fifteen minutes. During this time I bring to mind those dear to me who have passed away, focusing on each person individually, and silently solicit their presence. For someone of my age this is a fairly substantial task. I assign specific qualities or powers to them that reflect their... See more

The first step of any meaningful pursuit is to severely underestimate its difficulty.