Michelangelo was one of the greatest artists who ever lived. As a sculptor, painter, designer, architect, and so much more, he transformed history and was a major force in the Italian Renaissance.

But have you ever considered exactly what it was that made Michelangelo so great?

Was it his creative genius? His relationship with powerful and influential people such as the Pope? His ability to organize massive projects such as the painting of the Sistine Chapel?

All of those factors surely played a part in his greatness. But above all, Michelangelo was a guy who got things done. He finished projects and saw them through to completion.

Contrast this with his contemporary, and creative rival, Leonardo da Vinci. Even though da Vinci had a wider array of creative interests, and he had one of the most fertile minds in history, he often left projects half-finished. As anyone can see in his famous notebooks, da Vinci was a guy who had lots of great ideas but struggled to translate them into practical reality.

Michelangelo once said, “I saw an angel in the marble and I carved until I set him free.” We like to focus on the angel in the marble, but let’s not forget about the part where he kept carving until the angel was set free. Marble is a hard substance. It took Michelangelo four whole years working on his 16-foot statue of David until it was done.

But he eventually finished and moved on to the next project. That’s a great lesson for all of us writers working on big projects. You keep showing up every day, carving, and making a little progress. Then one day, almost like magic, you’ll be finished. That book you’ve been working on, that little angel, will sprout wings and finally fly.

Question: What project do you need to keep carving until it’s set free?