The section about writers forgetting the reader only sees what’s on the page was excellent. I think a lot of us mistake intention for communication. We know the emotional logic behind a scene because we’ve lived with it for months, but the reader encounters it cold. That gap creates so many weak moments in fiction. I also appreciated the larger point underneath all of this: humility is part of the creative process. The willingness to question your own certainty is what keeps the work alive. Wonderful insights here for writers Idris Elijah, thank you and have a great weekend!
Love when you said, “humility is part of the creative process.” It really is. The willingness to question your own certainty is exactly what keeps the work alive long enough to connect with Audiences in the end. Hope you had a great weekend as well! 🤩🤩🤩
I love the point about musicians assuming listeners care about technical complexity. Earlier on I spent so much time trying to impress people with layers, transitions and production tricks. Meanwhile the songs people actually remembered were the simplest ones emotionally. The ones with a strong melody or a line that felt human. AI is making me think about this even more lately too. Technical polish is becoming easier to fake. Taste and emotional judgment really aren’t. Thank you Idris Elijah for this thought provoking topic and enjoy your weekend!
Right, and I think every musician has fallen into the trap of assuming that listeners care about technical complexity. I don’t know if anyone realizes that strong melody and a human feel is really all you need. Hope you enjoyed your weekend as well. 🤩🤩🤩
This reminded me how often I assume I already know why something isn’t working before I’ve really looked at it honestly. Between work, parenting and trying to make time for myself creatively it’s easy to jump straight into frustration instead of curiosity. The “What assumption am I making?” question genuinely feels useful outside of creative work too. I’ve started catching myself doing it during stressful moments instead of immediately spiraling into “I’m failing at this.” Thank you for the practical tips Idris Elijah and Happy Friday to you!
You’re most welcome, Maria! The question, what assumption am I making is so genuine. Especially outside creative work. What you shared kinda leans into the pause we’ve talked about. Love how you’re already catching yourself during stressful moments. Fantastic!! 🤩🤩🤩
The section about creators assuming audiences value the same things they value is so accurate. I used to obsess over tiny technical details in my paintings thinking viewers would notice every brush choice the way I did. Most people responded to the emotional atmosphere instead. The mood. The tension. The feeling. That realization changed how I approach composition entirely. This newsletter captured something a lot of creatives learn the hard way: effort and impact are not always the same thing. A very impactful newsletter Idris Elijah and Happy Friday to you!
A lot of creators believe the audience values the same things, but once they realize that’s not the case, things begin to change for the better. Effort and impact are it the same. Hope you had a great weekend!! 🤩🤩🤩
The line about assumptions becoming invisible was my favorite. I’ve realized lately how many things I treat like facts are really just old conclusions I stopped questioning. Especially creatively. It’s strange how fast “I don’t think people would care about this” can turn into a permanent belief without any real evidence. This felt less like a newsletter about productivity and more like a reminder to actually examine the stories we keep telling ourselves. Thank you Idris for giving me so much to consider and Happy Friday!
Right, I think many of us treat assumptions as facts. We stop questions things because why fix what isn’t broken? Yet, with curiosity, and questioning everything by default, you can unlock a lot of helpful truths both in life and in creativity. 😎😎😎
The section about writers forgetting the reader only sees what’s on the page was excellent. I think a lot of us mistake intention for communication. We know the emotional logic behind a scene because we’ve lived with it for months, but the reader encounters it cold. That gap creates so many weak moments in fiction. I also appreciated the larger point underneath all of this: humility is part of the creative process. The willingness to question your own certainty is what keeps the work alive. Wonderful insights here for writers Idris Elijah, thank you and have a great weekend!
Love when you said, “humility is part of the creative process.” It really is. The willingness to question your own certainty is exactly what keeps the work alive long enough to connect with Audiences in the end. Hope you had a great weekend as well! 🤩🤩🤩
I love the point about musicians assuming listeners care about technical complexity. Earlier on I spent so much time trying to impress people with layers, transitions and production tricks. Meanwhile the songs people actually remembered were the simplest ones emotionally. The ones with a strong melody or a line that felt human. AI is making me think about this even more lately too. Technical polish is becoming easier to fake. Taste and emotional judgment really aren’t. Thank you Idris Elijah for this thought provoking topic and enjoy your weekend!
Right, and I think every musician has fallen into the trap of assuming that listeners care about technical complexity. I don’t know if anyone realizes that strong melody and a human feel is really all you need. Hope you enjoyed your weekend as well. 🤩🤩🤩
This reminded me how often I assume I already know why something isn’t working before I’ve really looked at it honestly. Between work, parenting and trying to make time for myself creatively it’s easy to jump straight into frustration instead of curiosity. The “What assumption am I making?” question genuinely feels useful outside of creative work too. I’ve started catching myself doing it during stressful moments instead of immediately spiraling into “I’m failing at this.” Thank you for the practical tips Idris Elijah and Happy Friday to you!
You’re most welcome, Maria! The question, what assumption am I making is so genuine. Especially outside creative work. What you shared kinda leans into the pause we’ve talked about. Love how you’re already catching yourself during stressful moments. Fantastic!! 🤩🤩🤩
The section about creators assuming audiences value the same things they value is so accurate. I used to obsess over tiny technical details in my paintings thinking viewers would notice every brush choice the way I did. Most people responded to the emotional atmosphere instead. The mood. The tension. The feeling. That realization changed how I approach composition entirely. This newsletter captured something a lot of creatives learn the hard way: effort and impact are not always the same thing. A very impactful newsletter Idris Elijah and Happy Friday to you!
A lot of creators believe the audience values the same things, but once they realize that’s not the case, things begin to change for the better. Effort and impact are it the same. Hope you had a great weekend!! 🤩🤩🤩
The line about assumptions becoming invisible was my favorite. I’ve realized lately how many things I treat like facts are really just old conclusions I stopped questioning. Especially creatively. It’s strange how fast “I don’t think people would care about this” can turn into a permanent belief without any real evidence. This felt less like a newsletter about productivity and more like a reminder to actually examine the stories we keep telling ourselves. Thank you Idris for giving me so much to consider and Happy Friday!
Right, I think many of us treat assumptions as facts. We stop questions things because why fix what isn’t broken? Yet, with curiosity, and questioning everything by default, you can unlock a lot of helpful truths both in life and in creativity. 😎😎😎