Don’t get it right. Get it written.
James Thurber (1894-1961) was an American humorist
and cartoonist known for his stories and drawings in The New Yorker
I’ve heard this adage all my life. It’s our family motto. As a professional writer, I find it hugely helpful for getting past writer’s block, inhibition, or the plain struggle of getting started. Until you have something down on the page, or paint on the canvas, or a shape in the clay, there’s nothing to improve. Once it’s there, you can start making it better. This quote encourages an open heart and an open mind toward trying new things and taking risks. It also lets you feel hopeful about how things will turn out, because you’ve already taken the first step.
People have done this before, but not us.
Ada Limón poem During the Impossible Age Of Everyone.
She’s the author of a book of poetry, The Carrying,
that won the National Book Critics Circle Award.
What I really like about this quote is that I think there are a lot of levels to it, but one of them for me is that there’s so many ideas in the world, and so many of them have been done. But to me, this quote recognizes that everybody has something unique to contribute. So, just because a story has been written about X, Y, and Z, doesn’t mean that your story that follows a similar plot line isn’t unique or valuable. It may have been done before, but not by you.
Older and Huber are the cofounders of Today I Noticed, a creative mindfulness practice based on the power of paying attention.
They are co-authors of Today I Noticed: The Little Book of Mindfulness That Will Change the Way You See the World
