Reframing failed starts, stops, and in-betweens as compost can be helpful for creatives! Explore how every creative attempt, even the unfinished ones, serves as valuable "compost" for great work in the future.
This is such a great perspective of our past creative work, whether it’s sitting in a closet or lying dormant in our mind. And it’s especially powerful when we reframe all of this stuff as compost — if it’s gold waiting to be mined, I need to be especially precious. The time has to be right. But compost is easy to come by! Reducing the pressure and onus and, indeed, self-imposed sanctity can be liberating. Thanks for the post!
You bet, I’m glad it was helpful. I love expanding it to even think that when I’m sleeping or watching a movie it’s also compost for songwriting or other creative work.
Definitely! All experiences have a role to play. The screenwriter Charlie Kaufman talks about using whatever is going on in his personal life—because you're going to use it subconsciously anyway, why not be mindful and harness it directly? Not everyone works in that style, of course, but it's good to have the option.
This is such a great perspective of our past creative work, whether it’s sitting in a closet or lying dormant in our mind. And it’s especially powerful when we reframe all of this stuff as compost — if it’s gold waiting to be mined, I need to be especially precious. The time has to be right. But compost is easy to come by! Reducing the pressure and onus and, indeed, self-imposed sanctity can be liberating. Thanks for the post!
You bet, I’m glad it was helpful. I love expanding it to even think that when I’m sleeping or watching a movie it’s also compost for songwriting or other creative work.
Definitely! All experiences have a role to play. The screenwriter Charlie Kaufman talks about using whatever is going on in his personal life—because you're going to use it subconsciously anyway, why not be mindful and harness it directly? Not everyone works in that style, of course, but it's good to have the option.