Digital Garden of Paul

Printer vs Pixel Mode

There are two ways to write: The Printer Method and the Pixel Method.

With the Printer Method, you write and rewrite every sentence until it's perfect. Nail the first sentence, then the second, and so on. Perfection is the name of the game so you don't advance to a new sentence until everything before it is perfect.

The Pixel Method is the opposite. Instead of making every sentence perfect, you put all your ideas on paper — knowing that each one needs to be refined. But instead of redefining the sentence after you write it, you wait until you have everything on paper. Then, you rewrite each sentence until you're happy with it.

Most people who have Writer's Block are using the Printer Method. With it, their standards for perfection are so high that their ideas can't take shape.

The Pixel Method is a more compassionate form of creativity because even the best ideas are born blurry. Letting yourself stumble at the beginning will make it easier to walk at the end.

From: Monday Musings, David Perell

Printer vs Pixel Mode