Resistance is Futile
If you're a writer or any other type of artist/creative person and you haven't read The War of Art, you should. I've been thinking a lot about Resistance lately, as discussed in The War of Art. It's that force that we constantly battle to stay creative. And it takes so many forms, it's easy to mistake it for other things. Resistance may take the form of excuses, procrastination, the need to research a project to death, the need to pre-write the project to death, and so on.
Our job every day is to win the battle with Resistance by showing up at the naked page and doing what we can. It may be great work, it may be garbage, but the best you can hope for on any given day is to be present at the page and try your best.
posted by Jamie Sobrato @ 3:54 PM
5 Comments:
I totally understand the issue of Resistance right now! With working 10 hour days and not getting home until 6:30pm, finding something to shove in my face and call it dinner and trying to quiet my reeling brain for a spell, I've been finding major Resistance when trying to get back into my nightly writing routine. The laptop is open, powered up, and I stare at my 2/3 complete manuscript...and nothing. Grrrrrr. But you're so right, Jamie. One page is better than nothing. I think I tend to look at it as if I can't get my usual 4-5 pages a night written (which used to not be a problem) then it's not worth it. So not true! Okay, starting tonight, I will write that one page a night. If I get more then terrific! But I'm not going to into it expecting more...at least not for a while. Good reminder, Jamie, thanks! I swear, why are we writers so demanding of ourselves? :-)
Christina
Hi Christina! I admire you for having the fortitude to even boot up the laptop with such a hellish schedule. I know some writers truly do need long, uninterrupted stretches during which to work, but I do believe in the value of even writing just a page a day. Even if you have to throw it out later--God forbid!--it's the exercise that counts. Sort of like how it's better to go out for a ten-minute walk or jog than it is to not do anything because we don't have more time. Writing is so similar to exercise--to bad it doesn't burn more calories. ;-)
i suffer from resistance to my day job...
Don't we all, Crissa? :-)
Great read thankyyou
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