Is it possible to maintain writing momentum when you have no time or no energy?
If Frida could do it...
Whenever I talk to a low-energy writer--whether they have a chronic illness, a small child at home, or something else--I hear some variation of this concern: I don’t have the time or energy to write.
And it’s always said in a regretful, Eeyore-like voice.
It makes me sad too. Because the answer to the question “is it possible?” is an emphatic yes.
Yes, of course.
It does, however, require that you let go of some of that deeply ingrained hustle mindset we're all suffering from. You aren't any less creative if you can't devote hours to your craft every day.
I like to think of this quote by Lao Tzu: “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
It’s a nice idea, right?
I imagine a calm, thriving forest, with lush abundance and beautiful complexity everywhere you turn. But in a practical sense, what does unhurried writing momentum look like?
The first thing to understand is that the writing process is about a lot more than getting words onto the page. The brain space you hold in between writing sessions is equally—if not more—important.
All writers have to learn how to make space for “nothing” and listen to the whispers of their intuition. All writers have to learn how to slow down enough to let their ideas take shape.
In fact, this can be a major hurdle for overachievers who expect their projects to speed along with no detours.
But if you’ve already been forced to slow your pace to one that’s out of sync with the daily grind—for whatever reason—you’re better equipped to grow comfortable in that generative space.
It’s just one of many writing strengths that low-energy writers might see grow out of their lived experiences.
Like Jenny Odell argues in her 2021 book, How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, you need space away from the endless stream of other people's opinions to be able to come up with anything meaningful to write about anyway.
So you might be closer to having a generative writing routine than you think, despite low energy.
If you can hold at least 15 minutes of time and energy per day--even if it's only in your own head--you can build and maintain creative momentum.
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