Breaking up with Resistance
I am experiencing writer’s block. I do not want to admit to myself that is what’s going on. I’d rather say that nothing is coming to me right now. One has to be in the creative mood in order to come up with something amazing. Well‚ I know this is a bunch of horse poop. I just got done reading
The War of Art ( Break through the Blocks and win your inner Creative Battles) by Steven Pressfield. He wrote The Legend of Bagger Vance. The book turned into a famous movie which was directed by Robert Redford. In the book‚ he shares with his audience the resistance people have to fight every day in order to accomplish anything they want to. A person needs to push through the fear‚ plant their butt in the seat‚ and write. He describes resistance as poisonous pond scum that a person has to keep scraping off in order to do the work they want to do in their life. Resistance has been my mean friend who I want to get rid of. I know I will always have resistance but the difference is now I want to turn the mean friend in for a nice creative friend who will tell me to be positive and keep writing. The author shares that it is not about being perfect. It is about getting up every day and learning to push through the resistance. Then‚ something magical happens as one shows up no matter what. Ideas start flooding where there used to be a blank page. There is a glimmer of hope again. I will take Steven Pressfield’s advice and I will sit my tush down in the chair‚ write‚ and fake it till I make it.
As of now (2) people have had something to say...
Mel -
January 18, 2014 at 6:29 pm
As difficult as it is‚ writing every day does have its merits. In my writing life the discipline required for this comes and goes; the truth is‚ it is‚ more often than not‚ sporadic. When my self-discipline is in its waxing stage‚ I almost fear missing a day‚ which is better than the paralyzing fear of writing when self-discipline wanes.
It’s a paradox that the rigid behavior of writing every day results in fluid and airy creativity. I say‚ Embrace the paradox!
On the other hand‚ writers write all day subconsciously. While shopping in the produce aisle‚ listening to Broadway tunes‚ playing tug-of-war with your dog‚ ideas are percolating. The other day‚ while walking my dog‚ suddenly dialogue for a new story idea came to me‚ actually‚ streamed to me.
Gertrude Stein said‚ “Writing is writing is writing is writing.” I’ll go with that anytime‚ anywhere.
crystal -
January 24, 2014 at 12:49 pm
Mel‚ I agree that the writing creative juices comes and goes. Some days I feel I can write something life-changing. Other days‚ it is hard to get one sentence on paper. I thank you for your advice and I love quotes from writers. It means a great deal coming from a accomplished writer such as your self.