Discipline is a tool that numbs the mind.
–Krishnamurti
It seems a little dramatic, but perhaps there’s some truth to it. I often hear writers (famous and not-so-famous) go on-and-on about how they get up at dawn EVERY day to write for a specified number of hours. “It’s a discipline,” they seem to be lecturing. I myself don’t work this way–I have to be inspired to write. Well…of course I can write without being inspired, but the words don’t have any energy behind them. The writing comes out sounding like concrete, and the ideas don’t jell. Sometimes it works for me to start writing and then I find inspiration for it, but in general, I’ll go with Krishnamurti on this one. I don’t believe that anything of much value happens by forcing it to happen. I believe that things of value happen when we first listen for the inspiration, and then act on what we’re inspired by. Any thoughts, anyone?