Source of Inspiration #1: The book "The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles" by Steven Pressfield. My mom gave me this book because it has helped her get back into creative writing, something that she has done in the past, but had put aside while developing her other artistic talents (painting, collaging, knitting, sewing, jewelry-making, etc), and she thought it would help me get my creative juices flowing. Well it did. I am reading it and loving it! It's a no B.S. nitty gritty, get shit done kind of book. Here are some of my favorite quotes so far: "Self-doubt can be an ally. This is because it serves as an indicator of aspiration. It reflects love, love of something we dream of doing, and desire, desire to do it. If you find yourself asking yourself (and your friends), 'Am I really a writer? Am I really an artist?' Chances are you are...Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do...The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it."
The following quote will stay with me forever. Steven Pressfield said that someone once asked playwright and novelist Somerset Maugham if he wrote on a schedule or only when struck by inspiration. "I write only when inspiration strikes..Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o'clock sharp." Creative acts take discipline and are not always as romantic as we imagine. And like most things we resist, the moment we are sitting down to do them, the better we feel, because we are moving forward.
So don't wait for it:
Happy creating!! (And feel free to share your rituals or routines for getting s _ _t done! I'd love to hear them)
I also wanted to share my soundtrack for this post. I heard this song today and can't get it out of my head. Here are two great versions:
Really inspiring Had! I loved the quotes from Stephen Pressfield. So true that often what we are most afraid of is what we should be doing. Important reminder to us all! Thank you for bringing it to light.
ReplyDeleteI totally relate to this! One of my mantras is "the perfect is the enemy of the good" -- because as a perfectionist, I often censor my creativity because I am too focused on what is not right. But that's a terrible outcome! It's so much better to get stuff out into the world, and to embrace its imperfections as part of the creative process. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this important topic that all creative types can understand :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this great Mantra!!
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