American poet William
Stafford had a controversial approach to writing. He instructed his students to
“lower your standards and keep going. When it gets hard, don't stop - it is
hard because you are doing something original.” After the writing flow is staunched, then it
is time to raise the standard during the rewrite process. William’s son, Kim Stafford, wrote of this in
his father’s biography, Early Mornings:
Remembering My Father, William Stafford.
Me, I’m afraid to write
junk. It doesn’t mean I haven’t done it – just not intentionally. My inner
critic whispers to me that my worth is tied to performance. It is communicated
from birth at home, church and school, and especially in college. Writing junk is unacceptable – a product of
laziness. A waste of time. So says my
subconscious.
There is nothing wrong
with writing good prose from the get-go, but unless you know how to disengage
from perfectionism, you can ruin your ability to tap into that place where true
creativity happens. Starting out with high,
insurmountable standards creates thresholds impossible to cross which throws
your abilities and creativity into shadow.
In order to create a safe
place for this lowering of standards to occur, I must first lay the ground rules.
Most importantly, I promise that no one else will ever see it and I keep that
promise. Next, I have permission to toss
it if it truly stinks like a rotten fish.
Not long after the death
of his father, a friend of Kim Stafford’s pointed out that in medieval warfare,
lowering one’s standard meant offering truce.
When you offer truce to your opponent (the blank page) you are open to
what may come and you disarm your inner critic.
Are you afraid to write
junk? Do you trust yourself enough to lower your standard in truce? We’d love
to hear.
