This resonated with me because I’ve always found something freeing about deleting. Cutting forces clarity. It asks you what actually matters. Not just in writing, but everywhere. It’s easy to keep adding more projects, more obligations and more noise because it feels like progress. But the moments that feel strongest usually come after you remove what’s unnecessary. The line about readers experiencing the edit more than the draft feels true in life too. People feel what remains. Refinement isn’t loss. It’s focus. Thank you Idris for another thoughtful and insightful read!
The distinction between the draft as emotion and the edit as decision is really clean. I’ve felt that exact tension in my writing. The first draft feels alive and cutting it can feel like killing something that once felt true to me. But the question, “Would the work suffer if this disappeared?” is ruthless in a useful way. It reframes editing from loss to clarity. That shift alone changes how I’ll approach revision in the future. Thank you Idris Elijah for these valuable writing tips! Loved this newsletter!!
As a painter this one felt personal. I love adding layers because it feels productive and alive. But the pieces that really work are the ones where I had the courage to scrape back and leave space. Deleting isn’t ruining the painting. It’s choosing what it’s actually about. Thank you Idris Elijah for the nudge to trust subtraction a little more. I plan on applying this more to my work this week!
I’m realizing how often I’ve stacked layers just because it felt like progress. Moving forward, I’m going to be more intentional. Sit with the mute button longer, strip back the verse before I add anything new and actually try the 30% cut instead of just thinking about it. I want the songs to breathe more. Thank you Idris Elijah for consistently putting out thoughtful work like this. Your writing always gives me something concrete to bring back into the studio!
This resonated with me because I’ve always found something freeing about deleting. Cutting forces clarity. It asks you what actually matters. Not just in writing, but everywhere. It’s easy to keep adding more projects, more obligations and more noise because it feels like progress. But the moments that feel strongest usually come after you remove what’s unnecessary. The line about readers experiencing the edit more than the draft feels true in life too. People feel what remains. Refinement isn’t loss. It’s focus. Thank you Idris for another thoughtful and insightful read!
The distinction between the draft as emotion and the edit as decision is really clean. I’ve felt that exact tension in my writing. The first draft feels alive and cutting it can feel like killing something that once felt true to me. But the question, “Would the work suffer if this disappeared?” is ruthless in a useful way. It reframes editing from loss to clarity. That shift alone changes how I’ll approach revision in the future. Thank you Idris Elijah for these valuable writing tips! Loved this newsletter!!
As a painter this one felt personal. I love adding layers because it feels productive and alive. But the pieces that really work are the ones where I had the courage to scrape back and leave space. Deleting isn’t ruining the painting. It’s choosing what it’s actually about. Thank you Idris Elijah for the nudge to trust subtraction a little more. I plan on applying this more to my work this week!
I’m realizing how often I’ve stacked layers just because it felt like progress. Moving forward, I’m going to be more intentional. Sit with the mute button longer, strip back the verse before I add anything new and actually try the 30% cut instead of just thinking about it. I want the songs to breathe more. Thank you Idris Elijah for consistently putting out thoughtful work like this. Your writing always gives me something concrete to bring back into the studio!