I am from one of the last generations to know what life was like without social media. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy technology. I appreciate instantly having a map of where I am going. I enjoy downloading a song I’ve discovered within seconds. I also appreciate the unbelievable speed at which AI can produce anything I want. Although these are all incredible inventions, I remember the slower pace of life before we had the entire world in our hands. 

Before these technological advances, things took a lot of time, and anything you set out to do usually required multiple steps. This allowed us more time to think and work toward achieving what we were trying to accomplish.

Over the past several years, I spent much of my efforts writing a novel, Catalyntje Trico: A Life in New Amsterdam. Although I had all the advantages of modern technology, this project took an extremely long time. As I neared the end, I realized I’d fallen in love with writing and wanted it to continue as a regular part of my life. 

I’ve reflected on what appeals to me about writing. As I’ve thought about it, I have realized that part of what I like is that writing takes time and effort. That is a process and mindset I genuinely enjoy. It slows me down and gives me time to think deeply about things.

I recently participated in an online book discussion about my novel with the New Amsterdam History Center. Sharing my thoughts and processes about writing my historical novel was delightful. After the presentation aired, my parents called to talk to me since they had watched it. In our conversation, my dad commended me for the research and time I’d put into this writing. Then, he shared the following stanza of the poem “The Ladder of St. Augustine” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The heights by great men reached and kept

Were not attained by sudden flight,

But they, while their companions slept,

Were toiling upward in the night.

I had never heard that poem before, but it summed up, in beautiful language, how I was able to write my book about Catalyntje.

Recently, I saw a painting by Deb Garlick that captured the same idea of Longfellow’s poem. It was a powerful visual representation of the reality that things take time and consistent effort to complete and that, sometimes, it is a slow, solitary process. 

The idea of working for a long time on a project is especially true with creative pursuits since they are usually not something to be rushed. As I think back on writing my book, I recall that my time was filled with creating, wondering, thinking, and improving—all things that take time; there is no other way to accomplish them.

The next time you sit down to create something, reflect these thoughts. Remind yourself that you won’t be checking a creative task off of your to-do list right away. Instead, take your time, savor the process, and be amazed at what you create.