Hillary Rettig's Blog

Productivity Secrets of a “Supergenius”

A friend was discussing her fears around her writing, and, in particular, of taking on bigger projects than she could handle, when she came up with a great comparison: “I feel like Wile E. Coyote when he goes off the edge of a cliff. Then he looks down and realizes he’s gone too far, but…

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The Key Insight: Joyce Carol Oates and Catullus on Writing Productivity

Some writers seem to have been born with an understanding of how to be productive. Here’s the super-prolific Joyce Carol Oates in her 1978 Paris Review interview: “One must be pitiless about this matter of “mood.” In a sense, the writer will create the mood. If art is, as I believe it to be, a…

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Now in Rhode Island, and Book News!

Hi Everyone, It’s been a while, but I have news. First, Jan and I moved from Kalamazoo (MI) back east—we’re in Rhode Island, in a great small artsy town that I love. I managed to live in Boston for twelve years without spending more than a few days in Rhode Island—now I know what I’ve…

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Procrastination Always Has a Cause and It Isn’t You

People who procrastinate or are otherwise underproductive tend to think that they’re the problem. “I procrastinate because I’m lazy, etc.” But laziness, lack of discipline, etc., are symptoms of a deeper problem: disempowerment. Locate and remedy the sources of disempowerment in your life and work and you can reclaim your joyful productivity. It’s perfectionism that…

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Kirkus Reviews: Productivity is Power II is “A compassionate, very practical blueprint for getting things done.”

I’m thrilled to share with you the wonderful review Kirkus Reviews gave Productivity is Power II: For Creative, Business, and Other Professionals: The problem is procrastination, writes Rettig at the outset of her book. “Many people think they procrastinate because they’re lazy or undisciplined, but that’s wrong,” she contends. “We procrastinate because we haven’t been…

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How to Get More Confident

One of my favorite TV shows is the 1969 BBC series Civilisation, hosted by Sir Kenneth Clark. A survey of European art, it’s intelligent, insightful, and gorgeous, with (for the time) outstanding production values. Yes, it’s also the epitome of white male, Eurocentric art criticism, but it still rewards watching, especially if you keep its…

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My Eye!

So, I just had eye surgery. Not cataracts, something trickier and scarier. I will spare you the details except to note that the surgery is called a “vitrectomy.” Those who want to look up the icky details are welcome to. It took almost a year from my initial diagnosis to get my surgery—and not so…

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Five Questions to Ask if You’re Not Enjoying Your Creative Work

Creativity can, and should, be an incredible source of fulfillment, meaning, and joy—and so, if you’re not enjoying your creative work, something might be wrong. If so, try answering these five questions: 1) Do I really want to be doing this? Sometimes we take on creative projects for the wrong reasons, like ego or to…

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The Easiest, Most Powerful Thing I Do For My Productivity

The easiest, most powerful thing I do to boost my productivity is a nightly ritual that takes about ten seconds. Before I tell you what it is, I need to explain two things:  (1) I use two computers:  Using two computers may sound like an indulgence, but it’s not, especially given the productivity boost it…

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Procrastination is Hoarding

We procrastinate, in large part, to avoid the hurt of criticism or rejection. If you don’t hand your work in, after all, it—and, by extension, you—can’t be criticized or rejected. And even if you do manage to hand it in, procrastination provides a built-in justification for any disappointing outcomes you receive: “I was rushed.” The…

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