You have to really read

“You have to really read if you want to write.”
–Chigozie Obioma

I’m hitting a third quarter slump in my daily writing discipline this year. It feels like I’ve been writing every day for so long, and I know I have so many more days to go. I achieved an important milestone a few weeks ago by publishing my 1,000th blog post. But 2,000 is a long, way away. 

This quote reminds me I’m not reading enough. This is an essential lesson that I already learned in my first one-year writing challenge, and need to systemize now, more than ever. Idea generation and style inspiration are so much easier when you take it upon yourself to consistently engage with the kind of art you want to create.