Taylor Swift, Malcolm Guite, and Wasted Years
Two things I've been reminded of recently about writing and creativity
Two things I’ve been mulling over this past week having to do with creativity and writing . . .
First: There Are No Wasted Years
Last year Maile and I had the opportunity to speak with poet Malcolm Guide for our old podcast (The Stories Between Us . . . we are now starting a new podcast, Word By Word). I knew that at one point in his life, Malcolm had gone seven years without writing any poetry. He was teaching, then he was an involved parish priest, and those various things left no time for writing.
So we asked him what encouragement he might have for those of us who go years without writing, those of us who, for one reason or another, find ourselves in seasons of life that simply don’t allow us the margin we need to create in that way? Are these years wasted?
“Those were not wasted years,” Malcolm insisted, speaking of the seven years he went without writing poems. He honed his reading and listening skills during that time, and those experiences would come back later to shape his writing.
If you were once in a season where you weren’t writing, or if you’re in one of those seasons right now . . . these years not wasted years. Return to the writing as you can.
Second: The Work Must Be Enough
Whether we’re toiling away in obscurity or at the pinnacle of our success, the only way we will find the energy to continue is if the writing itself can be enough for us.
I was brought back to this by something Taylor Swift said after winning a record fourth Grammy for Album of the Year, eclipsing greats Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, and Frank Sinatra.
“I would love to tell you that this is the best moment of my life,” Swift said when accepting the award. “But I feel this happy when I finish a song or when I crack the code to a bridge that I love,” she said, and added: “For me the reward is the work.”1
This is something I’ve finally come to experience, after years of pining for publication, then awards, then sales . . . those things may or may not happen, but if the writing is enough, if I can find the reward in the work, then I can go on writing quite happily for the rest of my life.
You guys can do this. Keep writing.
Finally, I have to pause my regularly scheduled writing to say thank you to all of you wonderful readers. The way you keep coming back here, engaging the content, liking, sharing, and just generally being the best audience there is, means so much to me. I wanted to share with you some fun milestones we crossed recently, all because of your loyal readership.
At the end of last year, we crossed the 3,000-subscriber mark here at The Courage to Live It. Then, in the last few weeks, we also eclipsed the 100-paid-subscriber mark! You all are amazing. If you want to find out what a paid subscription gets you, check that out HERE.
In the meantime, thank you. If you all keep reading, I’ll keep writing!
Don’t forget to subscribe to our new podcast over at Spotify or Apple Podcasts! The first episode drops this week!
How have you dealt with years that feel or felt wasted?
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/04/arts/music/grammy-awards-taylor-swift-miley-cyrus.html
I keep a small notebook and pen in my pocket whenever I'm in a "wasted years" season. I try to remember to record random thoughts for story, dialog, character, essays, whatever occurs to me. They are mismatched bits, but they help me to feel like I'm still progressing, even if I don't have time to develop the ideas right now. I may never get back to these ideas, but something about writing them down helps me.
I love coming here. Thank you for sharing this. "There are no wasted years."