Anyone who has children will be familiar with the “but Mom, it just happened” excuse. As if the lamp fell off the table and broke all by itself. Or the milk jumped out of the glass on its own. Or the scrape on the side of the car simply appeared out of the blue.
You can kind of understand this explanation when it comes from kids. It presents an opportunity to teach them to take ownership of what’s happened and then to deal with it accordingly. But what amazes me is the number of adults who still take this approach when it comes to their actions. It just happened.
Come on. Nothing just happens.
There is always a decision made first. And even when you avoid making a decision, you’ve actually already made it. You’ve decided not to deal with whatever it is you’re supposed to make a decision about. So this notion that it will all go away if you just leave it alone is pretty silly. As a matter of fact, the situation will probably get worse.
This applies to the creative process as well. Just like anything else, results depend on your decisions – how you work on developing your craft and what you do with it in the end. Bestselling books don’t just happen. Great works of art don’t just happen. Good kids don’t just happen.
Take ownership.
Of the good and the bad.
Purpose. Commitment. Determination.
And prayer. Lots of it.
Inside the Writer 