Kill Your Darlings

To that end, “kill your darlings” is an editing technique used by creative writers. To destroy your own creative work is painful, because you become attached to what you have crafted.

Why kill your darlings? Destroying your best parts allows something much better, authentic and more imaginative to emerge.

Along those lines, could you be clinging too tightly to a creative darling in your work as a meeting planner?

How would you answer these questions:

Are there parts of your work you find yourself unwilling to change?

Is it possible that if you relaxed your grip on executing a plan, a better plan might arise?

When the stakes for meeting success are high, what is your default course of action?

The above questions are a test of your willingness to kill a darling and let something better spring forth.

I know a thing or two about killing darlings. While it sounds brutal, what I consider ‘pretty good’ becomes fabulous with amputation.

I prefer to work alone when developing creative material – i.e. developing workshops or when writing anything that someone else will read.

Typically, I am not ready to share my ideas with clients until I first like what I have created.

The hard part is sharing it with others and seeing the ‘kill’ take place before my eyes.

Some ideas never see the light of day; some morph into something new; only a few get accepted without any tweaking.

But the results are always so much better when there is space for creative casualty.

Are you clinging too tightly to a creative darling? Would you want some help in relaxing your grip?

If so, please share your story and ask for some collaborative input.