Hillary Rettig's Blog, page 6
July 23, 2018
Why an Anime Girl (or Raccoon!) Might Be Your Next Productivity Buddy
Back in Cambridge, MA, where I used to live, a group of writers used to meet regularly to get some work done. After a quick hello – no chit chat, latte ordering, or other delays – they all sat down and started working. It was so quiet you could hear the proverbial pin drop, and […]
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June 11, 2018
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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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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June 1, 2018
Furball Friday: Billy’s Studio Shots
So, we hired a professional photographer to capture Billy in all his furball glory. I’ve hired a pro for my business, but never personally. The things we do for our dogs! It was a bit of a splurge – $250 for everything including some prints – but worth every dime. Not only are the pictures […]
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May 29, 2018
Let’s Talk About “Situational Perfectionism”
“Situational perfectionism” is when something causes your perfectionism to spike above its usual levels. (Which usually, in turn, causes your procrastination to spike!) It’s a very common phenomenon, with many possible causes. Here are a few: A prior failure. Often, when we perceived we’ve failed, we get more afraid of future failures. (The solution is […]
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May 19, 2018
Some Thoughts on “Genius” – a Not-Very-Useful Concept
There’s been a spate of writing about “genius” lately. Here, in Tweet form, are some of my thoughts on that concept. Hope you like them, and I welcome your comments, on Twitter, Facebook, or below. – Hillary For millennia #genius has been gendered male, and used to justify everything from boorishness to rape and murder. […]
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May 10, 2018
Does Writer’s Block Exist?
A coupla tweets for your delectation: Lookee here! Another guy–and they almost always seem to be guys!–claims #writersblock doesn’t exist. They seem to come out of the woodwork every once in a while. https://t.co/Eb5deQQdG1 — Hillary Rettig (@hillaryrettig) May 7, 2018 “Writer’s block is a delicious myth” How callous and condescending, not to mention, #clueless, can you get? #writersblock #writers — Hillary Rettig […]
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April 24, 2018
Stuck? Lose Your Label!
Here’s a useful piece by Austin Kleon on How to Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Chaotic Times. I like #3 a lot: “Forget the noun, do the verb.” Calling yourself a “writer,” “artist,” “activist,” “scholar,” “entrepreneur,” or any other label can invite procrastination if you use that label perfectionistically. For example, if […]
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April 11, 2018
Stuck? Lose The Label!
Here’s a useful piece by Austin Kleon on How to Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Chaotic Times. I like #3 a lot: “Forget the noun, do the verb.” Calling yourself a “writer,” “artist,” “entrepreneur,” “scientist,” or any other label can invite procrastination if you use that label perfectionistically. For example, if you […]
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March 17, 2018
Dogs Don’t Like Perfectionism Either!
This piece by Nancy Tanner on how impatience ruins dog training is brilliant: When I am asked what is the biggest problem I see in dog training today, it is the same problem I saw fourteen years ago, and thirty years ago, it is the misunderstanding of time. It takes time to learn how to […]
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