Here is the latest article from Neil…

I want to talk briefly about a sticking point I’m noticing.

One thing I’m noticing, though, is that there is a tendency, drilled into us since childhood, to always think and plan ahead.

This may not be true for writing and art.

Think of art more as meditation. the goal is to surrender to the moment, to be in the present, and to trust the creative process even though it may not be something you intellectually understand or have self-doubt about.

When we begin a book–or any artwork or creative endeavor–the goal is not to execute a plan. It’s to surrender to the art itself. To let the art create itself, with you as a conduit.

The best art is a journey into the unknown. You may know your starting point, but the art will lead you to the destination if you listen to it.

Then, once the first iteration is complete, that’s when you can step back, see what it is that you created, and engage the intellect again as you revise.

It’s important to remember to surrender to the work initially. To be led by it. To trust that there are better, greater destinations than even the one you have in mind.

This may apply to much of our lives, not just art.

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