When my translation flow feels turgid, I read the Korean and listen intently for the first sound that comes to mind—sound, not word. Then I think of the English word that best fits that sound. I build the rest of the sentence from that word. It gets me back in the flow.

My theory behind this method is that your subconscious already has the word you want and it pushes the word out into the conscious sound-first. You have to listen carefully for the word by the sound. If you miss the sound, you’ll miss the word.

This sensitivity to your own inner voice—your inner sound machine—is your sensitivity as an artist. The ability to listen for and recognize this inner music is what makes you an artist. The rest is skill.