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This Month
Learners vs Performers
Success Stories
Attention All Book Lovers
Learners vs Performers
Dear ,
This is our first email in this new format. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful and inspiring.
Today we are going to look at some ideas from Robert Fritz's intriguing book, Creating.
In the book, he explores the creative process in depth. What we're going to focus on is the difference between the performer and the learner.
This is particularly relevant to writing. Many writers, particularly those just starting out, see writing as a performance that they have to get right. The key question behind it being, do I have talent?
We believe this is very limiting. The best results come when the writer is open and writing is seen as a learning experience.
Fritz says, "A performer first discovers his/her natural talents and abilities, then pursues activities designed to express these talents. The intent is to find a comfortable and secure niche in life.
Although they become competent and talented in particular areas, what the performer does is to avoid periods of incompetence and failure. The emphasis is on performance. Always do well, never do poorly. For some it is more extreme: Be perfect.
In this mode, you can only do what you are good at doing. You can work up to your capacities, but seldom can you grow beyond your capacities.
Learners develop an ability to grow beyond their present abilities. Entry-level competence is not an issue for them. Some learners have actually started with a natural ability that is less than average.
Winston Churchill, considered to be one of the greatest orators of the twentieth century began his career with a pronounced speech impediment and he could not speak extemporaneously. In order to compensate for these difficulties, he wrote all of his speeches and practiced delivering them before a mirror. Over years of practice and work, he continually learned.
Vincent Van Gogh began painting when he was 29 years old. He did not have an abundance of natural ability at the start. Hand-eye coordination did not come easy for him. But he knew how to learn.
The learning process may be filled with moments of failure, disappointment and perhaps even embarrassment. Yet each failure can lead to greater competence when it becomes a basis for learning. It is only the performer who assumes that failure is not a legitimate stage of development. Performers do not recognise that learning often means they may be 'bad' before they are 'good.'
This can be frustrating but frustration is often a natural by-product on the road to creating what you want to create. Your vision and desire for the creation can far outshine your current level of ability to create what you want. When this is the case you have a choice. You can either learn, or you can quit.
If you choose to learn, you not only learn the specific skills regarding your specific desire, but you also learn a general lesson about your own life. The lesson is that you can learn. You can expand your abilities and competencies, and by virtue of that, increase the probably of creating what you desire.
Growth, change, expansion, independence, learning, inventiveness and self-generated progress all become difficult when you remain in performance mode.
There's an old saying, writing can't be taught, but it can be learnt. In order to learn, you need to forget about performing and focus on the learning.
Success Stories
1) Kevin Rozzoli, one of our 3rd draft fiction writers launched his new book, called Gavel to Gavel, An Insider's View of Parliament, UNSW Press, on Tuesday 26th September.
When Kevin was Speaker of the NSW Legislative Assembly from 1988 - 1995, new members would regularly ask for a book to explain what parliament was about from a practical point of view. None being available, Kevin decided to write one himself. Well done Kevin and good luck with the book.
2) Here is an email we received from one of our writers Helen O'Brien, who did Unlocking Creativity and the Character and Critique Course.
“I just thought that I would let you know that I had an article on surfing published in the September edition of the local magazine 'The Beast' which goes to 70,000 homes around the Eastern Suburbs.
I sent it off several weeks ago and heard nothing back.
Accordingly I was quite surprised and thrilled to find myself in print in my mailbox last night!
Thank you for your ongoing email updates which keep me in touch with my love of writing.”
Attention All Book Lovers
Escape to the picturesque Southern Highlands for the:
Berkelouw Books, Berrima Book Barn, Spring Fair And Sale:
30th September - 2nd October
The Berkelouw Book Barn is a treasure trove of collectable books where booklovers can browse through 250,000 quality new, secondhand and finely bound books.
We had people from The Writers' Studio who attended last year and they highly recommended it. There is 20% off books all weekend and it is jam packed with activities.
Please visit www.berkelouw.com.au for more details.
Berkelouw Books: Stores In Paddington, Leichhardt & Rose Bay
If you print this email off and take it to a Berkelouw Bookstore, you will receive a saving of 10 per cent on their new books, stationary and at their café. (excludes secondhand, rare books and other discounts.)
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COURSE
DATES AND EARLY BIRD SPECIALS
Unlocking Creativity
This is our introductory course. You will learn tools and techniques to dramatically improve your writing and gain an introduction to story structure. About Live
About Online
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10 Month Novel and Script First Draft Course
Find the story you want to write and complete your first draft in ten months.
Prerequisite: Unlocking Creativity About Live
About Online
Testimonials |
6 Week Character & Critique Short Story Course
Develop and explore the characters you want to write about within the framework of four key genres: love, comedy, thriller and fantasy. You will write a 1200-1300 word story every ten days in each genre and your online tutor will critique every story you post.
Prerequisite: Unlocking Creativity More...
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Advanced Courses Second Draft Third Draft |
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