I’ve heard that artists make beautiful art by taking the marble and chipping away everything that doesn’t look like the art they want to create.
Art is an expression of the point of view of the artist. What I choose to include and exclude to express my vision is what the art means.

I haven’t carved marble yet. I use words.
All day I make professional documents. I’ve gotten very good at it. Keep it clean. Oil the barrel, chamber the bullet points.
Aim and shoot. Time is money.
Hmm. Both can be exchanged for a lot of things. What could I choose to buy with my time?

I have been restraining my words. Caged and domesticated. Do I want to be the best at what other people decided?
I used to have notebooks filled with thoughts and attempts at profundity trying to find the beauty I saw around me, to pin down the borders of my oceans.

A few nights ago, I was keeping my daughter company while she did karate exercises in the backyard. She asked me to tell her a story. Then another. I was tired so I grabbed my short story book.
She took the book and read more of the stories
“You are funnier when you say more.”
Oh.
I have not been leaving room for art, and it shows.
I squished down those stories and skipped the wonder and the glory.
The metaphors the images are there if I take the time

Just like her karate moves, I should warm up. I can do a few revisions and allow it to breathe. The metaphors and turns of phrases might need time.

Every time I write I am staring into a mirror of my soul.

It takes courage and faith to get that image right. I must believe I can find a presentation that is sufficiently true and honorable.
I’ve been settling for good enough. Hurry up and call it done. Like a speeding train I am only capturing the impression of an image.
Perhaps I am ashamed and even less willing to spend time with that mirror. I’ve often tried to sneak up on myself when I’m writing. Trying to catch an interesting angle that makes me interesting and poignant.
Or even better, funny.