Little Steps

Folks post all sorts of inspirational stuff on the internet. There are quotes from people, famous or unknown. Anonymous seems to be a popular fellow. Pictures of cute animals. Short videos. Short stories. Cartoons.

All of those have their place. You just never know when something will strike the right chord, when a simple observation will speak to someone.

The picture above was posted by someone, illustrating what could be done with a few rocks and imagination. Creativity doesn't require a pile of exotic supplies. The individual just needs an eye for possibilities.

Take another look at the picture. How long do you suppose it took for the artist to arrange the stones just so? What sparked the original idea? Maybe the largest stone near the bottom? And then what?

Possessing an idea is not enough. The creator must then exercise enough patience to work out the final creation. See...that's my problem. I want each idea to be finished instantly. Right now. And of all the creative endeavors out there, writing is perhaps the slowest. Its a creative process from the first word to the last, changing with every sentence like a kaleidoscope on hallucinogens.

Whatever the beginning plot idea might be, it seldom survives to the end. It requires thousands of small steps to make the journey from conception to birth.

The stones didn't leap from the beach to the plank and arrange themselves. The artist spent time arranging and rearranging until he or she declared it finished.

Little steps.

anny