14. Practice vs praxis (Or, getting the real work done)

You’ve probably heard this core and celebrated advice for a successful writing life:Write every dayFinish as many projects as possibleNo exceptionsAnd maybe, like me, you’ve also heard this extremely well-adjusted and reasonable guidance more times than you can count: Being a writer is awful. So if you’re able to walk away from your writing, you should—but if you’re too obsessed to quit, no matter how miserable you get, that’s how you know you’re the real deal.That last nugget of wisdom scared me away from books on the writing life for years.This month, I get honest about “failing” this classic (and ultimately unhelpful) advice. And I’m exploring how writing praxis can rescue your writing practice from becoming just a bunch of self-punishing rules spiraling inside a pit of despair.Plus, I share the four key threads of much better guidance that I learned from finally binge-reading hundreds of pages of writing life advice from Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler, and others._____If you’re dreaming of a sustainable writing practice filled with more life, spirit, and deep magic, visit the link to join the newsletter circle. You’ll get monthly inspiration and supportive, inspirited practices delivered right to your inbox.https://www.inspiritedword.com/about/#the-praxis-circlePrefer to access subscriber content via Substack? I got you: https://inspiritedword.substack.com/_____Episode links:The Wave in the Mind, Ursula K. Le Guin“Furor Scribendi,” Bloodchild and Other Stories, Octavia E. ButlerOctavia E. Butler: The Last Interview and Other ConversationsWriting Down the Bones, Natalie GoldbergBird by Bird, Anne Lamott Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.