No Time For Short

“I apologize for such a long letter – I didn’t have time to write a short one.”

Mark Twain

Clarity of thinking – knowing what you want to say, how you want to say it, and why it’s important – comes over time. You can’t expect it to come easily.

Instead, you should anticipate that your first draft will be sloppy, unfocused, and generally too long.

Give yourself more time. If you commit to the time, then you can say less. And it will be clearer, conciser, and more useful to anyone who encounters it.

Twain’s idea applies to all creative pursuits. If you want to have a clear vision for the art you want to make, you can’t expect it to come quickly and stay clear.