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On Gratitude
Moving the Goalposts and What Happens When You Achieve Your Creative Dreams
Holly Lyn Walrath
October 23, 2026
In partnership with
From Bioethics to the Creative Arts: The Binary of Gratitude
Bioethics researcher Erik Parens studies what it means to be human. In his studies, he primarily focuses on the ethics of human research—such as genetic engineering. Surprisingly, he writes often about gratitude.
Parens says that there are often two kinds of scholars: Those with a “gratitude” framework who emphasize “our obligation to remember that life is a gift” and that we need to let life progress as whatever higher power—God, fate—intends. Then there are those with a “creativity” framework: Those who believe that we are obligated as humans to take the gift of life and transform it—through creative expression (“Creativity, Gratitude, and the Enhancement Debate” in Neuroethics: Defining the Issues in Theory, Practice, and Policy, 2005).
While Parens was talking about whether we should perform surgery on children or perform genetic testing, it struck me that this is the fundamental struggle of gratitude for creative disciplines, too: We see it as binary. We can either be grateful for what we have, humble even, or acknowledge that creativity is a limited resource, a dwindling life force that will one day be extinguished, and thus must be constantly chased.
Gratitude implies acceptance of what is. But creativity is a cycle of constant growth. Gratitude says “I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished.” Creativity says “I can do more.”
You Finished the Book: What Now?
Let me frame this in terms of my primary creative discipline, writing. If you’ve ever finished a book and published it, you may know where I’m going with this.
You probably started your book project with the dream of one day having a book. A physical thing you can hold in your hands and give to friends and read from. A collection of the heart and soul that is your story, all wrapped up in pages. If you're like me, maybe you grew up loving books, and having a book of your own feels like a huge accomplishment or dream to one day achieve.
I know each and every one of you is capable of achieving that dream. Of finishing the book. So here's my question: What now?
What happens a lot for writers is that we forget to stop and have gratitude for our successes. We move the goalposts. I remember that, for a long time, my goal was to have a "pro" publication (in the sci-fi/fantasy world, this means a certain pay rate for a story). But once I got that, I was like, "What now?" I realized I had to move the goalposts. This is a natural part of creative growth, and writers who get stuck never learn to set new goals. (And sometimes that's okay. Some writers just have one project in them.)
So you write the next book. And maybe that one is harder. Maybe the first one isn’t a commercial success. Your agent quits their job. You get overwhelmed by feedback from readers who want you to change your vision for the book. An editor ghosts you. You get bogged down in marketing or self-promotion. You spend so much time answering emails that you never get time to write. Your community implodes with scandal. A writing friend gets jealous and takes it out on you. You pivot, constantly.
The gratitude-creativity train rides on, with you on it or under it.
Right now, I’m at a high point. I've been feeling just enormously grateful for the creative successes in my life. I get to teach writing online to writers who inspire me every day. (Every time I read my student’s work, I get an idea or a little zing of creative energy for my own poetry.) I get to run workshops out of my little art studio that I opened in Houston earlier this year. I get to publish more poetry books. I get to read my poems out loud to friends and community.
These are all things that would have seemed huge to a former me — both intimidating and amazing.
But I don’t always feel grateful. I often feel overwhelmed. I find myself pushing and pushing, trying to find the next thing to do. I get too busy, take on too many projects. I forget to slow down and let my creative brain guide me. I feel constantly late, and that feeling makes me doubt myself, even with all those successes behind me. I eat myself alive.
And before you reach your goals, it can be even harder to feel gratitude. Having faith in yourself and being grateful for small, incremental successes is hard. That’s why writing is hard.
But what if we can have it both ways? What if we can both be grateful AND grow? And how do you achieve that?
It’s not external. It’s mindset. Instead of seeing other creatives as people to be jealous of—"They’ve achieved so much more than me!”—we can see them as potential friends or inspiration. Instead of seeing your old work as juvenile, acknowledge how far you’ve come. Instead of seeing a perceived failure as injustice—see it as the universe throwing you a curveball. Learn to hit that curve and ride the train through the ups and downs.
There are other ways to finish a book than being positive—spite, a fear of failure, jealousy, burnout, fear. . . and even more unethically: AI. Plagiarism. But none of these make writers who are also good creative citizens, nor do they nourish your heart.
In my experience, focusing on the creative process and being grateful as you grow means you don’t just finish the project, but finish it with love for yourself and your community.
I hope you get a chance to slow down and practice gratitude for your creative self. That inner part of you with the imagination and ideas and words. The creative self needs to be loved and fed with words, not only that, but a wild, free, unflinching self-appreciation. You are the one who will make the book happen. You are your creations.
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Upcoming Workshops from Your Host with the Most Writing Prompts, Holly Lyn Walrath
 Journaling for Writers  30 Genres in 30 Days Get ready to discover the magic of different genres in this fun and interactive 30-day workshop tailored for short story writers. Whether you’re into mystery, romance, horror, or science fiction, this workshop will help you grasp the unique elements and essentials of each genre. With 30 engaging prompts, you’ll master how to seamlessly blend popular genre traditions into your stories, no matter if you usually write microfiction, flash fiction, or short stories. This workshop is the perfect opportunity for fiction writers aiming to enhance their craft by gaining a deeper understanding of genres.  Grow with Van Gogh: A 30 Day Creative Challenge Secluded in a small village outside of Paris, the famous impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh spent the final 70 days of his life doing what he loved: painting every day. This remarkable period and astonishing burst of creativity inspires this unique workshop. Grow with Van Gogh is a 30-day challenge for writers, artists, and all creatives looking to generate new work and push their boundaries. This four-week workshop includes a daily prompt inspired by the life and work of Vincent van Gogh. Whether you're putting words on a page, paint on a canvas, or lens to the world, this challenge invites you to show up daily and create. Vincent van Gogh is one of the most prolific and famous artists of all time. He is also perhaps the most misunderstood. A tribute to Vincent’s relentless creative spirit, this workshop takes a close look at the artist while allowing participants to respond to and reflect on van Gogh’s life through their own creative voyage.  DATE: March 13th, 2027 |  Sip + Create Fifth Ward Art Walk  Sip + Create Holiday Cards Join us for a cozy holiday card-making sesh where you can explore your creative side and make your own poetry-themed holiday cards. In this creative session, we'll use books and texts from the December cultural holidays — Christmas, Bodhi Day, Hanukkah, Diwali, and Kwanzaa—to write poems and create our own holiday cards. Learn about the world's holidays, enjoy a cozy holiday beverage, and meet other creatives.  Sip and Create: Sketching the Exquisite Corpse Join us for a beginner-friendly sketching game. In the Exquisite Corpse, each participant helps build a series of sketches entirely from scratch. Make new friends and meet other creatives while learning the basics of sketching with pencil. This intimate creative session is meant to help you explore a new interactive art style and become a better draughtsman.  Sip + Create: Love Poetry |
Self-Paced Workshops (Sign Up Anytime!)
 Self-Paced Course: 30 Poems In 30 Days  Self-Paced Course: Journaling for Poets |  Self-Paced Course: Queer Poetics  Self-Paced Course: Writing Resistance Through Erasure, Found Text & Visual Poetry |
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