Productivity & Mindset

Category

September 12, 2019

How Successful Authors Overcome Writer’s Block (And Keep Creating)

Every writer eventually encounters the same frustrating experience: staring at the page with nothing to say. Ideas disappear. Motivation fades. Progress stalls. Some people call it writer's block. Others describe it as creative fatigue, burnout, or simply feeling stuck. Whatever name you give it, the experience is remarkably common. To better understand how writers navigate these creative slowdowns, I asked six successful authors to share their experiences with writer's block, what it feels like, how they work through it, and what they do to prevent it from happening in the first place. Their answers reveal an encouraging truth: writer's block is not a sign that you're not a writer. It's often part of the creative process itself.

September 10, 2019

How Amy and Greg Newbold Create Picture Books as a Team

Creating picture books is often viewed as a solitary pursuit, but some of the most memorable books are built through collaboration. Author Amy Newbold and illustrator Greg Newbold have spent years combining storytelling, visual art, creativity, and mutual trust to create award-winning children's books together. In this interview, they share lessons on writing, illustration, publishing, creative partnerships, and what it takes to build books as a husband-and-wife team.

September 9, 2019

10 Things Non-Writers Don’t Understand About Writing

Non-writers often see the finished product, but writers live through the uncertainty, self-doubt, editing, rejection, and invisible work required to create it. To people outside the process, writing can look like a hobby, a side interest, or a simple act of putting words on a page. But writing teaches lessons that extend far beyond books and articles. It reveals how creativity works, why meaningful work feels difficult, and what it takes to persist when progress is invisible. Here are 10 things writers understand that many non-writers never fully see.

August 30, 2019

Why You Only Think Clearly After You Start Writing

Many people believe they need clarity before they begin writing. The opposite is usually true. Clarity often arrives because we write. Whether you're journaling, outlining an idea, working through a problem, or drafting an article, writing forces vague thoughts into concrete form. What feels confusing in your head often becomes understandable once it reaches the page. That's why so many writers continue writing even when nobody is reading. Writing isn't just communication. It's exploration.

August 21, 2019

What to Do When You Think Everything You Write Is Bad

You've been there. Maybe you're there now. Everything you write is horrible. Terrible. It's the horrible, terrible, no good, very bad writing (day). Welcome to the club. Stay awhile. While you're here, you should know something. Everything you write probably isn't that bad. And even if it is sort of bad, that's OK because good writing comes from bad writing.

August 16, 2019

What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Write (Writer’s Block Fix)

Most writers eventually reach a point where they don’t know what to write, feel uninspired, or hit a creative block. Low levels of inspiration happen to everyone. The question is what you must do when writer's block arrives.

April 9, 2019

Why Human Life Has Inherent Value: Understanding the Image of God

Why does human life have value? Most people instinctively believe every person matters, but fewer can explain why. Is human value based on intelligence, productivity, wealth, ability, or something deeper? Christianity offers a profound answer. Human beings possess inherent worth because they are made in the image of God—a doctrine theologians call Imago Dei. Yet despite this truth, human life is often treated as less valuable than it should be. Whether through hatred, violence, neglect, or self-destruction, we regularly fail to recognize the dignity God has given every person. So why is human life sacred? Why does every person possess inherent worth? The doctrine of imago Dei provides the answer.

February 20, 2019

How to Create Work People Can’t Stop Talking About

Why do some books, products, businesses, and ideas spread naturally while others are forgotten? Usually, the answer comes down to two things: value and emotion. People share things that improve their lives. They remember things that make them feel something. When creative work accomplishes both, it becomes difficult to ignore.