Michelangelo supposedly said something like this about creating:
In disciple there's freedom.
For years, I have struggled with understanding that. Editors helped to provide me with the discipline of deadlines and limits. As a freelancer, I had to learn to be my own editor and adhere to the deadlines imposed by mortgage payments and bills due.
Here is Bruce Springsteen, a.k.a. The Boss, in the New York Times, talking about rehearsing, writing, and performing for his band's appearance at the 2009 Super Bowl halftime. He will perform for tens of thousands spectators in person and millions upon millions more via television and the internet.
Ordinarily his shows can last three hours. Today, he will have 12 minutes.
"It was very challenging to try and get that exact 12 minutes. I found that in a funny way it was very freeing. O.K., these are your boundaries, so put everything that you have into just this box. If you do it right, you should feel the tension of wanting to spread beyond that time frame. But it can't." (Jon Pareles, "The Rock Laureate," NYT, Feb. 1, 2009, p. 26).
How do you creatively handle your boundaries and limits in reporting, writing, and revising? How do you handle boundaries in your other relationships? What steps do you need to take improve working with your boundaries?
BH
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1 comment:
That's why I love playwriting so much. I have a very specific structure and I have to make sure that I only write the things people say (as opposed to think). I feel like I can be so creative within that rigid structure.
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