Gradually, and Then Suddenly

In The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, one of the characters (Bill Gorton) asks another character (Mike Campbell) a question.

“How did you go bankrupt,” Bill asks.

“Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually, and then suddenly.”

A lot of things are like that. Slowly at first, and then all at once. Creative work, fulfillment and success can be like that.

If you write (something like) 250 words a day for a year, you’ll have written enough words to fill a novel, and amongst all of the things you’ve written about likely tens of ideas for the novel you could write.

If you’re learning photography, taking a single photograph per day could barely sound worthwhile—but in a few months you’ll have a body of work, and likely have made incredible progress along the way.

If you persist for long enough, you might be lucky enough for someone to ask how you became so creatively fulfilled or successful. How you ever managed to complete your most wonderful works.

“How did you get here,” they might ask.

“Two ways,” you might say. “Gradually, and then suddenly.”