writing and skill drills

Every week, my bf and I take a handstand class with the handstand guru Patrick Beach. Beach has so many gems to share (which Home Alone is best is, of course, on the docket!), and one week he made a point about handstands as a skill that really resonated. I'll often look at a handbalancer doing something wild and think, "Wow, they're so talented!" Which is for sure true. But, it's also a skill. Something they practice, train at and execute over and over again. A skill demands work.

Does this sound like a natural segway into writing? Of course it does! Whenever you read someone's captivating book, you probably marvel at their talent. I absolutely do this (cue the drool). But, what we don't see, is the skill work that went into writing the captivating book. The daily grunt of writing and re-writing and editing and re-writing and turning against the book and keeping with it...you get it. The dedication to the skill is what makes the finished product possible.

So, really, skill work is pretty magical. With dedication to practicing a skill, you can teach yourself to do unthinkable things. And, even, make those unthinkable things into a handstand by the ocean or a book that enriches the lives of its readers through magnificent storytelling. The possibilities are endless.