I have an "empty" weekend between two full ones and have come back to visit with Cynthia and my artist. Yea! I'm feeling stuck on a project all about tulips because someone I want to interview is not getting back to me. It's complicated. I discovered that tulips had their origins in the mountains just north of the Himalayas. In April I was both in Srinagar, Kashmir, and in Amsterdam. Since it was April, I got to see the tulips at Keukenhof in the Netherlands. And that's where I learned that tulips are native to the mountains. A flower seller in Kashmir actually gave us some "native" bulbs. Had I known about the history of the tulips when we met him, I would have interviewed him, but I learned that later.
Now that I am home and want to write about it all, I am trying to get in touch with our guide in Kashmir, very knowledgeable about local botany. He "hearted" my What'sApp message, but I haven't been able to pin him down to a time to talk (tricky because of the time difference). Argh!
Waiting on someone I want to interview always stops me cold. I've cleaned the office, filed some piles. You get the idea. This is the bottleneck in my funnel. I've written three What'sApp messages over a few days, but I'm worried about cultural norms and being a pushy American and am having trouble getting started writing. Thanks for listening!
I hope it helped to get this out, and I hope your guide got in touch with you!
Waiting for others is a total bottleneck. I wonder if there are other ways to write about it without the interview? I am saying - we make decisions about how it has to look, and when it doesn't look that way, it stops us.
What are other ways this article might come to life? I bet you can brainstorm 5 ideas.
Thank you, Cynthia! I LOVE brainstorming, creating new ideas, considering new possibilities, and exploring what's next. It's one of my greatest strengths. I am not a seasoned writer—I'm lightly salted. Staying in the funnel has been a challenge. The help you provided in your Write ON program and 1:1 coaching has made a huge difference!
A deep bow of gratitude for your help on the journey! Happy New Year!
P.S. I landed on my three words for 2025: STAY, create, and trust.
Lightly salted - you really have a way with words, Carolyn!
It was such fun to guide you through the sometimes rigorous process of getting your book mapped out. I know you think this isn't one of your main strengths, but I say you have done a LOT of uncomfortable things in your life, so being able to survive and even thrive in challenging situations IS one of your strengths.
I can't wait to read your book! Great three words for the year!
Thank you for this beautifully simple illustration of what many (most) of us creatives go through! I frequently return to the top of the funnel (the fun part) when my WIP gets down to that excruciating 10%.
I love this post and the coined word "Bailure"! I have many more unfinished projects than finished projects, truth be told. When I was younger, maybe into my 30s, I really had NO finished projects. I kept having great ideas and then for all of the various reasons you mentioned, never got any into that final stage. These were bailures for me.
In my 40s and 50s, I finished a lot of projects and also left a lot of unfinished. This was a different kind of not finishing. Because I was finishing some things, I felt allowed to leave behind some projects that weren't working out or that I changed my mind about, even if I'd spent a lot of time working on them.
And I have one particular project that still hasn't coalesced into a form but that hasn't yet gone away, is still there simmering in the back of my mind with occasional work. It may be something that just requires a whole life of thinking to complete!
It's interesting to look over our timeline and see how our relationship to finishing changes. Of course we all have lots of undone things in the closet.
But...it doesn't matter! Mostly I want us to finish the things that are SUPER important to us. Those are the bailures that will haunt us.
You are an unstoppable creative, Donna, and I know you are doing all the right things.
Your video was very helpful. Right now I am about 3/4 way down the funnel and missing the joy and excitement I found near the top. I am pleased to say that even though my enthusiasm has waned my commitment to the novel stands and I will push towards the bottom of the funnel! Thank you, Cynthia!
I have an "empty" weekend between two full ones and have come back to visit with Cynthia and my artist. Yea! I'm feeling stuck on a project all about tulips because someone I want to interview is not getting back to me. It's complicated. I discovered that tulips had their origins in the mountains just north of the Himalayas. In April I was both in Srinagar, Kashmir, and in Amsterdam. Since it was April, I got to see the tulips at Keukenhof in the Netherlands. And that's where I learned that tulips are native to the mountains. A flower seller in Kashmir actually gave us some "native" bulbs. Had I known about the history of the tulips when we met him, I would have interviewed him, but I learned that later.
Now that I am home and want to write about it all, I am trying to get in touch with our guide in Kashmir, very knowledgeable about local botany. He "hearted" my What'sApp message, but I haven't been able to pin him down to a time to talk (tricky because of the time difference). Argh!
Waiting on someone I want to interview always stops me cold. I've cleaned the office, filed some piles. You get the idea. This is the bottleneck in my funnel. I've written three What'sApp messages over a few days, but I'm worried about cultural norms and being a pushy American and am having trouble getting started writing. Thanks for listening!
Ellen,
I hope it helped to get this out, and I hope your guide got in touch with you!
Waiting for others is a total bottleneck. I wonder if there are other ways to write about it without the interview? I am saying - we make decisions about how it has to look, and when it doesn't look that way, it stops us.
What are other ways this article might come to life? I bet you can brainstorm 5 ideas.
I bet by now you have solved the problem!
Thank you, Cynthia! I LOVE brainstorming, creating new ideas, considering new possibilities, and exploring what's next. It's one of my greatest strengths. I am not a seasoned writer—I'm lightly salted. Staying in the funnel has been a challenge. The help you provided in your Write ON program and 1:1 coaching has made a huge difference!
A deep bow of gratitude for your help on the journey! Happy New Year!
P.S. I landed on my three words for 2025: STAY, create, and trust.
Lightly salted - you really have a way with words, Carolyn!
It was such fun to guide you through the sometimes rigorous process of getting your book mapped out. I know you think this isn't one of your main strengths, but I say you have done a LOT of uncomfortable things in your life, so being able to survive and even thrive in challenging situations IS one of your strengths.
I can't wait to read your book! Great three words for the year!
Thank you for this beautifully simple illustration of what many (most) of us creatives go through! I frequently return to the top of the funnel (the fun part) when my WIP gets down to that excruciating 10%.
So glad it was illuminating for you!
I love this post and the coined word "Bailure"! I have many more unfinished projects than finished projects, truth be told. When I was younger, maybe into my 30s, I really had NO finished projects. I kept having great ideas and then for all of the various reasons you mentioned, never got any into that final stage. These were bailures for me.
In my 40s and 50s, I finished a lot of projects and also left a lot of unfinished. This was a different kind of not finishing. Because I was finishing some things, I felt allowed to leave behind some projects that weren't working out or that I changed my mind about, even if I'd spent a lot of time working on them.
And I have one particular project that still hasn't coalesced into a form but that hasn't yet gone away, is still there simmering in the back of my mind with occasional work. It may be something that just requires a whole life of thinking to complete!
It's interesting to look over our timeline and see how our relationship to finishing changes. Of course we all have lots of undone things in the closet.
But...it doesn't matter! Mostly I want us to finish the things that are SUPER important to us. Those are the bailures that will haunt us.
You are an unstoppable creative, Donna, and I know you are doing all the right things.
I love finding that “it’s not just me”, these always help!
Another awesome Morrisword.
Your video was very helpful. Right now I am about 3/4 way down the funnel and missing the joy and excitement I found near the top. I am pleased to say that even though my enthusiasm has waned my commitment to the novel stands and I will push towards the bottom of the funnel! Thank you, Cynthia!
This is very interesting - thank you. But you suggest “revisit your fear map” and I haven’t come to this yet? Not sure where I find it either.
Thanks for pointing that out, Joan!
It's #3 in the invitation here: https://yourartistknowstheway.substack.com/p/befriend-your-inner-critic
I will also add the link to the post here.
Great model - very helpful and encouraging. Thank you, Cynthia!