Summary

The website content encourages writers to embrace the mindset of creating as a means to gain various forms of personal and professional fulfillment, emphasizing the value of appreciation in the creative process.

Abstract

The article "What Can Your Writing Create?" by Bill Abbate delves into the transformative power of writing as a form of creation. It suggests that by adopting a creator's mindset, writers can reap numerous benefits, including financial gain, recognition, and personal growth. The text highlights the importance of investing effort into one's writing to produce work of great value, which can lead to a sense of accomplishment and potentially significant rewards. Abbate introduces the S.T.A.R. pattern (See, Think, Act, Reap) as a guide for effective creation, encouraging writers to identify needs, think deeply about them, act to address them, and ultimately reap the rewards. The article also touches on the legacy writers can leave through their work and challenges them to consider the potential impact of their future creations. It concludes with a call to appreciate one's own work and the positive effects this can have on both the creator and their audience.

Opinions

The author believes that writing is inherently a creative act that can lead to substantial personal and professional gains.
Abbate emphasizes that the act of creating, especially in writing, is not just about the end product but also about the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding gained along the way.
He posits that the process of creating something of real value involves deep thinking, careful crafting, and often, repeated revisions.
The article suggests that the rewards of creating are not limited to tangible outcomes like money or recognition but also include intangible benefits such as knowledge and self-fulfillment.
The author introduces the concept that appreciation of one's own creations is crucial for motivation and for fostering a sense of accomplishment.
Abbate advocates for the idea that writers are true creators whose work can have a lasting impact, encouraging them to see themselves as such.
He challenges readers to envision the legacy they can create through their writing and to consider the many people they may help or inspire in the future.
The text promotes the notion that by appreciating what they create, writers can lead richer and more fulfilling lives, extending this appreciation to all areas of their lives.

Inspiration | Writing

What Can Your Writing Create?

Do you appreciate what you create?

Here Comes the Reaper! No, I’m not talking about the Grim Reaper. I’m talking about you. The one who has the most to gain. The one who can reap the most by creating.

The more you apply the mindset of creating to your life, the more you will create and the more you will reap. Take writing, for example. When we sit down to write, are we not creating? Of course, we are.

What can you gain?

Once you publish your written creation, you have positioned yourself for gain. But what will you gain? If you are interested in money, you can gain that. Other possibilities include gaining recognition, respect, acceptance, acknowledgment, accolades, awards, friends, or followers. And what about the knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and clarity you get along the way?

What do you wish to gain from what you create? I’d love to read your thoughts in the comment section below.

The process of creating

Creating is a simple process. Following through on it is a different matter. Sure, you can sit down and write a 500-word article with little effort, but unless you think deeply and pore over your words, write and rewrite to perfect it, what you produce may not have much value. Yet when you create a work of great value, oh wow! What an incredible feeling of accomplishment!

This brings us to the widespread and straightforward pattern of creating in life. I noticed it some years back and subsequently wrote my bestselling book, Uncommon Sense, on this pattern. The book was the first to use the acronym S.T.A.R. (see, think, act, reap) for creating.

When you finally uncover (see) a need, give it deep thought to understand it (think), undertake the appropriate action (act), you ultimately receive (reap) a reward. Can creating be that simple? YES!

To create anything of real value requires putting your hand to the plow. The more you invest in creating something that helps others, the greater the reward can be. As with investing in anything of value, it can eventually earn a great return.

What will you create?

Have you ever stopped to consider what you might create in the future? Most of us haven’t. Take a minute to think about that question. Can you see one, two, ten, twenty, or more creations? If you are a writer, you can produce hundreds or thousands of creations if you wish. Many of us have and continue to do so!

By opening your eyes and thinking about what you might create, you will see more potential for creating than you have ever dreamed. Sadly, many who work with words do not realize they are creators in the truest sense. They create with every word they write!

Think of the legacy of so many writers from the past. Thousands have left their treasure to help us think, grow, and mature to become better people. Why not join them?

Imagine the legacy you can create! Those words from your heart and mind can live far beyond you. They can touch people’s hearts and minds far into the future. Imagine the people you may help because of your writing. It’s very inspiring, isn’t it?

Creating good in the world

I challenge you to go forth and create! See the bright future for your creations unfolding before you. See them in your mind and heart and in the words you write.

I recommend you do one thing after each creation, no matter how small it is — pause, look at it, and appreciate it! This creation came from you, from your thoughts, from your heart! LOVE IT! Like anything you love, don’t hold it too tight.

Release it — put it forth into the world! The eagle pushes its eaglet out of the nest high above the ground, setting it on its flight to freedom. You can similarly release your children (writing) into the world for their freedom. Give to the world because of your love for your creation. Complete selflessness! Then, step back, look at, and appreciate what you have created. Let it inspire and fuel your creativity for your next creation.

“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” William James 1842–1910)

Final thoughts

I leave you with these foundational truths:

“What you appreciate appreciates.”

And its opposite:

“What you do not appreciate, or fail to appreciate, depreciates.”

Learn the lesson in these truths, and they will change your life forever.

To live a rich and fulfilling life, apply the principle of appreciation to your marriage, family, the work you do, and anything else you value. Those who take the truth of what appreciation creates in life derive value that continually increases! Why not join us and appreciate all you create, and extend this appreciation to everyone you love and life itself. Appreciation makes life worth living!

“Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it.” Ralph Marston (1907–1967)

Bill Abbate Leadership Writer and Editor in ILLUMINATION

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