The Ride

Glory is a lonely road only you have sights on

You cannot rush creativity. You cannot rush the process. You cannot rush nature to produce something magical on your schedule. It is quite literally impossible, so why then, are you rushing your creative process? All for the dollar or little bit of attention online? That’s it? Hmph.

I often think about the cost of what it means to be visible. I also think about the cost of what it means to create in the public eye all while standing firm in the belief that one cannot rush beauty–it either exists on its own time or it is nowhere to be found. Simple concept but as we can see, everyone has become impatient and desperate for instantaneous gratification that no one seems to care that the process is where all beauty lies. Even I have fallen victim to the trap of becoming visible and it costs me my flow and sanity.. well, that was until I took it all back on my own terms.

No one checks for me, that’s cool. No one supports my blog and published works, cool. But there’s something everyone is missing: just because you’re present does not mean that reflects in your work. You can be online all day, promoting your work and engaging with your fanbase but when it comes to your work, are you really there or is your mind and heart somewhere else? No, really, ask yourself that question.

I had to have a come to Jesus meeting with myself about that. Yeah, I may post a few notes here and there but when it comes to the real work, I had to slow down because I realized that I was rushing the very act I enjoy! I was rushing to be published, I was in such a hurry that I published three books in one summer. Another time, I published two books in one month.. literally within 2 weeks of each other. Yeah, it was like that. But now, as I sit back and examine it all? None of it was worth it. I had also taken that approach with some of my articles on my old blog.

I wouldn’t put too much research or time into certain topics, just write and edit as I go then submit for publication. Some did well, others did not. And within that, I noticed which ones actually kept people reading and highlighting or stuck on a particular passage were the pieces that I spent actual time with. As writers, we tend to forget that writing is energy and the reader can actually tell when we’re rushing or not particularly too fond of the topic we’re speaking on. Mistakes happen, but don’t let it become your whole artistic identity. Take time with your work and know that those who appreciate your mind will come to realize, support and respect your voice for doing so!

And I’m not saying this just to say it, I mean I legit tried a lot when it comes to writing. I wrote music. I write poetry. I wrote about music, film and literature, even wrote reviews, etc. but you know what stuck? The projects that not necessarily required refinement but required me to add pieces of myself and carefully place my words with the intent to allow my readers to see themselves in my work and understand that every sentence and every point came from a real place. You think Russ shouted me out for no reason back in 2023? No, I took the time and listened to his album [more than once] and took several days to write the review. When you take your time, good things happen, especially those that are unexpected.

You may not care for this message because I’m broke, nobody important and “irrelevant” but I believe that I have been clear about my intentions with this post. Take your time with your work. Please. You can’t rush Thanksgiving dinner. You can’t be in a rush when making love to your spouse. You can’t rush midmorning traffic when there’s an accident. There are many different instances where rushing is not an option, so we know patience is indeed a virtue, so now is the time to put it into practice.