Knowing and accepting
that we will be criticized-
that we will be judged,
rejected or even worse
ignored–
and choosing to
continue anyway-
is an essential skill
that we need to acquire-
that we can not do without-
in life and in art.
So is knowing and accepting
that sometimes the road is
long and hard-
and straight uphill-
all the way–
and that our chosen path
will take us through
mud and sludge and swamp-
and steep mountains
and dark forests.
And that for much
of the journey
we are absolutely
alone.
To be lost and afraid
and to ache
and nearly break–
is part of the journey.
There is no avoiding it.
When we are engaged
in the process of writing or painting–
where the product matters-
where it’s not just therapeutic–
or an exercise in self inquiry-
but where expectations of merit-
and quality play an important part–
we will at some point-
feel all of the awful.
fearful, jealous, disappointed,
rejected, despairing, angry emotions.
And we will be full of doubt.
We will from time to time
believe that we can not
keep going.
But there is the trick
to surviving all this misery.
It’s remembering that if
you are feeling these
things–you are on your path.
If you feeling all tis pain
you are doing it right.
You are staying on track.
If you opened your lap top today
and hate what your wrote yesterday–
and the day before–
You are in the process
of doing the work.
You are getting there-
you are slogging up the hill-
you are getting it done.
You are getting somewhere.
So when you are stuck with nothing to say-
remember that you are supposed to get stuck-
sometimes.
You are not going anywhere folks if–
from time to time
you don’t get stuck-
waylaid, distracted, completely lost.
You haven’t left the comfort zone if
you never want to rage and moan.
It is part of the creative process.
That is all it is.
You wanna quit but don’t.
You gotta go through this part.
On the other side of this
is your reward.
Coming soon. Part two,