The Habit Carey Wallace on The Discipline of Inspiration
7 snips
Sep 15, 2025 Carey Wallace, an inspiring author and speaker committed to supporting writers and artists, shares her insights on creativity and spirituality. She discusses the delicate dance between inspiration and discipline, emphasizing that artists shouldn't just wait for inspiration to strike. Incorporating anecdotes from musicians like Peter Frampton, she highlights the element of surprise in creative breakthroughs. Carey also advocates for the power of rest, showing how taking breaks can enhance creative thinking and enrich literary expression.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Inspiration Defined
- Carey Wallace defines inspiration as what lights up talent and technique and transforms them into art.
- She argues inspiration is central and rarely taught despite being distinct from talent and technique.
Discipline As A Gateway
- Wallace frames "discipline of inspiration" as a deliberate practice of showing up to welcome what is always pouring out into the world.
- She says discipline prepares us to respond when inspiration wants to pour through us.
Soft Gaze Over Squinting
- Openness, not frantic toil, is the posture that invites inspiration, though openness itself requires hard work.
- Wallace compares openness to softening the gaze to catch more falling stars than intense squinting.
