At the end of 2014, I started what I called the Genius Project.  The idea was to explore the concept of putting in 10,000 hours of work and using deliberate practice towards my playwriting to achieve mastery or become a “genius” in that realm.  For just over a year, I kept track of the activities that would move me closer to that state of genius-hood.

I tracked writing, obviously.  But I also tracked play reading, watching theatre, participating in play readings (my own and others), research, and giving feedback to other playwrights.  There’s more to becoming a writer than just writing.  Reading is a big part. (So is living your life and having experiences, but I didn’t track that – although it would make it a lot easier to get to 10,000 hours!)

Of course, putting in consistent time towards my writing has always been a challenge.  And I have run into many rough spots where Resistance has kicked my butt and TV was my solace; so nothing productive got accomplished during those times.

It’s been over 3 years since my last update and I thought I’d take a peek to see how much further I’ve moved along since that last update.

At the end of 2015, my total hours towards the Genius Project was 965.75 hours, which meant I only had 9,034.25 hours to go.

My combined hours for 2016, 2017, and 2018 are 1,028.25 hours.  Which means that I only have 8,006 hours to go now!!  Ouch.  At this rate, I will reach 10,000 hours in about 24 more years.

It’s not looking good for me becoming a Genius before I need a walker.

But the real lesson is that it isn’t a race.

True mastery is a lifelong goal and a lifelong journey.  It ends when we end and hopefully not before.  It is about always learning and always trying to grow.

© 2019 Peter Gruner