It is obscenely difficult—if not impossible—to make something that nobody hates…Conversely, it is incredibly easy—if not expected—to make something that nobody loves.
What a great quote for us creatives, huh? Hits a little close to home, but puts a smile on the face, too, so it’s fine.
My obsession with collecting and sharing book quotes continues. Share your favorites with me, or at least, your favorite book so I can find a great quote from it on my own 🙂
“Instructors could teach the basic techniques and methods, but a mastery of mechanical knowledge could never make a person an artist. No one could teach creativity or invention. A spark needed to come from within. It must be something unique, something discovered by the individual, a leap of understanding, a burst of insight, the combining of common elements in an unexpected way.” -Riyria Chronicles
When my editor finished highlighting the oversights I’d missed in Book One, I found myself renewed in my task of telling this story in its best possible way.
So, I set to refining those last details of my piece.
It was the first time I really felt like an artist.
I’d been told this craft of writing is art. I consider other writers artists, but I never brought the title to bear on myself. Through the time of turning a slew of crappy words thrown together into a coherent story, I’d never thought I was making art. But in these final steps, there were fleeting moments that I was.
In these moments, I was proud of what I was doing 🙂 Proud of what I’d done.
Chiseling away to bring forth the final details that would make this piece better than it was, I was a sculptor of words. I saw the art. I saw that art wasn’t some mystical ambrosia that spawned inside some and not others. It was blood and hurt and patience and perseverance. It was showing up every day. It was practicing a craft until I was good at it. It was practicing more until I was better.
Like a giant hurdle has been vaulted, I’m even more committed and excited to continue this journey. I feel like the beginning has ended. I’m confident to move into the sophomoric stage of this journey, where I hope to learn and grow by leaps and bounds.
Author C.M. Martens 