Productivity | Creativity | Inspiration

Discipline and Structure Are Not the Enemy of Creativity

But waiting for inspiration is

“Waiting for Inspiration” Designed by Carmellita (the Author) in Canva

Creativity should be free, wild, and untamed, right?

Inspiration isn’t something you can schedule, right?

My creative friends, here lies the problem. Some writers, artists, makers and creators believe structure, discipline, and scheduling kill creativity.

But, picture this: You sat at your desk, coffee (perhaps tea) steaming. Ready to go, your fingers hover over the keyboard, and just like that… nothing.

The blank page stares back at you, daring you. “I dare you to write one damn sentence that makes sense, ha, you can’t, can you?”

Feeling defeated, you spiral into the abyss of procrastination, self-doubt, and pointless social media scrolling. You had no choice, the inspiration wasn’t there, right?

Oh, I’ve been there. Earlier in my writing journey, before it became a profession, I wanted to be both prolific and inspired. However, it seemed I had to choose between strict discipline and pure creative freedom.

Would it kill the magic if I forced myself to write on a schedule? And if I waited for inspiration, would I ever finish anything?

However, my mindset flipped after I spent about seven months without writing a single sentence. It was during a time of intense fear and frustration. Someone close to me was accused of a crime they didn’t commit and if they lost their case, it meant hard time.

Even after the real perpetrator was arrested and my loved one released, I still couldn’t write.

I had no inspiration at all. In the past I could count on daily inspiration to write, but it wasn’t quite a commitment. I leaned on my overactive imagination, curiosity, and the idea that writing was my way of understanding, dissecting, and putting things back together.

But I never saw the day when the words wouldn’t come.

I was creatively paralyzed until one day while mindlessly surfing the internet, I ran across Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due—two prolific, inspirational, and best-selling authors (who happen to be…