Feeling Stuck? Tolkien Has a Word for You

Why Our Efforts, Mundane as They May Seem, Matter More Than We Realize

Once, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote a short story to work through his frustration with his writing, which he felt was going nowhere.

The story, Leaf by Niggle, tells of an artist named Niggle who is commissioned to paint a mural on the side of city hall. Niggle spends his entire career trying to complete this mural—a grand, colorful tree meant to inspire others f…