Ernest Hemingway is not only my favorite author, but I also find him to be an absolutely fascinating character study. For as stereotypically macho as he always prided himself on being, his work shows a remarkable emotional intelligence and a gift for capturing great nuance in very simple phrases and ideas. He has two pretty interrelated quotes that are extremely foundational to my outlook on life and work, and I just wanted to share those quotes today and a few words on what they mean to me.
"Sometimes when I was starting a new story and I could not get it going, I would sit in front of the fire and squeeze the peel of the little oranges into the edge of the flame and watch the sputter of blue that they made. I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, 'Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.'"
"The great thing is to last and get your work done and see and hear and learn and understand; and write when there is something that you know; and not before; and not too damned much after."
The first quote to me covers how to work: diligently, patiently, and with plenty of self-confidence. I think many high-achieving people fear the thought of waking up one day and somehow losing the secret sauce that made him or her successful in the first place. A salesmen out of good sales pitches. A songwriter out of melodies. A marketer out of clever campaign ideas. This quote quenches this fear for me. It's a reminder that success generally isn't a fluke. It's a reminder to trust yourself, your abilities, and what you know is true, and everything else will fall into place on top of that.
The second quote to me covers when to work. Doing your best work creatively sometimes requires you to shape your calendar around your inspiration. You will always do sub-par creative work when your main priority is just finishing the task. Sometimes you need to buckle down and get something done on a deadline, but other times it's worth it to keep your eyes open and wait for the moment of inspiration to arrive, and when it does arrive, get the hell out of your brain's way and let it work. Write when there's something you know, and not before, and not too damned much after.
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