The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that there are two main reasons to do anything you’re not outright required to do: 1) because it’s your job in some way (and in some way helps you earn a living) or 2) for joy. As creators, we need to carefully balance the two and always put our limited creative resources where they will serve us — and the world — best.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing …

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The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that taking a step back and allowing ourselves to disengage from a practice or pursuit can provide needed perspective to reevaluate its worth and potentially let go of what no longer serves us.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that we can be poor judges of our own work in the midst of creating it. By persisting through self-doubt, the final product often reveals itself as more coherent and impactful than we anticipated.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that there are often ingenious solutions to challenges we're unaware of that defy our assumptions about apparent limitations or risks.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that conventional productivity wisdom doesn't always apply. Respecting our body and mind's natural ebbs and flows can paradoxically increase our effectiveness over forced continuous effort.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that things are often different than we assume based on our surface-level understanding. What seems to serve one purpose may actually have another underlying function that isn't immediately apparent.

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The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that there are innovative solutions to problems that may defy our conventional understanding, and yet they work. Somehow.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that competence isn’t immune to a lack of self-awareness … in this case, about one's own amazing abilities. When something comes naturally, it's easy to lose perspective on how special that skill actually is.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that to truly connect and resonate, you must deeply understand your specific audience and tailor your messaging to directly speak to their particular interests and perspectives..

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that shifting perspective and telling a well-known narrative through a new lens can reveal profound new insights and depth that drastically alter the original interpretation.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that sometimes even when the basic requirements are met, environmental factors or circumstances can still prevent growth and the full realization of potential … for creatives and characters as much as plants.

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The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that while emergency circumstances may necessitate reactive, short-term systemic shifts, going back to earlier ways always lurks in the background.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that concepts of creative ownership and legitimacy are more contextual than we usually think.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is to not assume, and to question the sources of our thoughts. Supposed "knowns" can persist as remnants of outdated knowledge.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that things always change … period.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that there can be transcendent moments when everything converges in a special way, but they’re fleeting compared to a well-planned build-up. Writers should identify and maximize our narrative's “total eclipses.”

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