Rupert’s Rules of Writing – #4

#4. At some point, you will have to let go. Do it with joy and forward movement. 

Leonardo da Vinci is supposed to have observed that works of art are never completed. Instead, they are abandoned. At some point every creative artist says “that is enough”, and they move on to the next work. They seldom return to an already completed work, and many incomplete works remain incomplete for a number of good reasons.

You do not have to “complete” anything, if you do not have a compelling drive to complete it. And…if there is no compelling drive, your creative internal muse is telling you something. That something might be anything. The idea may be a dead-end. The time may not be right to work on it. There is something missing from the concept that needs to be created or found.

The world of music (which I know well) is full of examples of works which were worked on for way too long. Polish makes many surfaces shine, but it also removes interesting textures and other features of interest. Think about trying to polish fine suede.

 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *