I’ve definitely blamed “talent” at times when what I was actually missing was sustained reps in one direction. Working on an ebook feels like the right next vehicle for that. Not because I suddenly feel more confident but because I’m ready to build familiarity through showing up consistently. Less waiting to feel ready, more letting the work train my instincts. Thanks for the nudge Idris. This landed exactly when it needed to! Happy Friday to you!
I know I’ve said that maybe I just don’t have talent as a quiet escape hatch instead of looking at my actual habits. The part about your voice being trained through saturation really landed. I can feel how much sharper my instincts get when I’m reading every day, not just writing when inspiration shows up. This year I’m committing to reps: daily pages and deliberate reading, even when it feels boring or unglamorous. Thank you Idris Elijah for stripping the myth away without killing the magic!
This felt deeply familiar. I’ve caught myself looking at other artists and assuming they’re just wired differently, when really they’ve logged thousands more hours seeing, failing, adjusting. The idea that “talent” is just early familiarity reframed a lot for me. I’m committing to more studio time this year. Not to make masterpieces, but to build instinct. That reminder alone was worth reading. Thank you Idris Elijah and have a great weekend!
I’ve always admired people with “feel” and pretended I didn’t notice how many hours they’d put in to earn it. Coming back to songwriting after some time away, I can literally feel where the reps are missing… timing, choices and confidence. So that’s my commitment: more unfinished songs, more trial-and-error, more letting my hands learn before my head gets involved. Really appreciate the honesty here Idris Elijah!
I’ve definitely blamed “talent” at times when what I was actually missing was sustained reps in one direction. Working on an ebook feels like the right next vehicle for that. Not because I suddenly feel more confident but because I’m ready to build familiarity through showing up consistently. Less waiting to feel ready, more letting the work train my instincts. Thanks for the nudge Idris. This landed exactly when it needed to! Happy Friday to you!
I know I’ve said that maybe I just don’t have talent as a quiet escape hatch instead of looking at my actual habits. The part about your voice being trained through saturation really landed. I can feel how much sharper my instincts get when I’m reading every day, not just writing when inspiration shows up. This year I’m committing to reps: daily pages and deliberate reading, even when it feels boring or unglamorous. Thank you Idris Elijah for stripping the myth away without killing the magic!
This felt deeply familiar. I’ve caught myself looking at other artists and assuming they’re just wired differently, when really they’ve logged thousands more hours seeing, failing, adjusting. The idea that “talent” is just early familiarity reframed a lot for me. I’m committing to more studio time this year. Not to make masterpieces, but to build instinct. That reminder alone was worth reading. Thank you Idris Elijah and have a great weekend!
I’ve always admired people with “feel” and pretended I didn’t notice how many hours they’d put in to earn it. Coming back to songwriting after some time away, I can literally feel where the reps are missing… timing, choices and confidence. So that’s my commitment: more unfinished songs, more trial-and-error, more letting my hands learn before my head gets involved. Really appreciate the honesty here Idris Elijah!