[A]
A while ago, I stumbled upon this poem by Charles Bukowski on what it takes to be a writer
If it doesn't come bursting out of you in spite of everything
Don't do it
Unless it comes unasked out of your heart and your mind and your mouth and your gut
Don't do it
If you have to sit up for hours staring at your computer screen
Or hunched over your typewriter, searching for words
Don't do it
If it's hard work. Just thinking about doing it. Don't do it
Unless - it comes out of your soul like a rocket
Unless being still would drive you to madness or suicide or murder. Don't do it
When it is truly time, if you have been chosen
It will do it by itself, and then it will keep on doing it until you die, or it dies in you
there is no other way and
there never was
his message, of course, extends to other creative professions from
Directing to composing music to painting or even sports and although
I think it's a beautiful poem and quite a romantic way of looking at creative endeavors
he's also horribly and
fundamentally wrong
History is filled with creative
Geniuses where it didn't just came bursting out of them take some of our current super talent writers for example
From Aaron Sorkin who describes having a perpetual writer's block?
to George R R Martin who can't seem to finish his new book to
Tarantino who has spoken about how
difficult it is to be staring at an empty piece of paper where somehow his new movie needs to appear and
Finally Robert mcKee writer of the Bible in screenwriting who claims he is the biggest procrastinate in the world?
I Think for these creative minds
but also for you, me and
Many others. The more excited you are about your creative endeavor the bigger the project and more
Important to fulfilling your dreams, the harder it is to actually sit down and do it
The trap that many writers including myself fall into mainly consists of staring motionless at a blank page
It's not that we don't want to write or that we don't have the ability to put words down on the page
We just don't have any good ideas. It's not a fun place to be believe me. As Steven Pressfield states
and he calls this force that keeps us from sitting down?
Resistance according to press field is what stands between the life?
We live and our in lift life
It stands between us and our dreams or who we want to become and what we want to create
are you a writer that doesn't write, a painter that doesn't paint, an
entrepreneur that never starts a venture... then you have Fallen victim to resistance
Resistance is to be taken seriously says Pressfield - it is to be declared Evil
Millions have been defeated by it, dreams have died because one gave up or never dared to start it is therefore essential
To learn to recognize resistance and learn how to beat it
Pressfield gives a beautiful description of resistance he states that
we might think that it is friends, jobs, pets
Or the internet that keeps us from our creative work, but that's false
" I'm hungry, I should get coffee. Coffee would help me think
But I should write something first then reward myself with coffee
Coffee and a Muffin. Ok so I need to establish the scenes
maybe Banana nut.
That's a good muffin"
The Force of resistance that drives us to engage with these things and procrastinate, comes from ourselves
Resistance is the self generated enemy from within
Resistance is most commonly expressed in progress of nation, because it is the easiest to rationalize
I'll Start but I 'll start tomorrow
God! There was one week when you wore sweat pants, Everyday
YOU SHALL NOT PASS
Of course resistance's goal is to have us saying this until our deathbed
other manifestations of resistance can be indulging in alcohol, sex, masturbation
TV, gossip and eating fats, sugar, salt and chocolate
Brassfield describes that indulging is not always a manifestation of resistance
but if you feel hollow and unfulfilled afterwards it probably was
We subconsciously know that we gave up our long term goal for instant gratification
Resistance beat us
you out there, sticking your dick in anything that moves, trying to get back at me.
Which is fine
you know what the worst thing is
You're not writing
you have this gift... you have this incredible talent, and you're just flushing it down the toilet
Resistance Expresses itself when you create drama in your life, claim victimhood. When you spend your time
criticizing others, when you turn your life into a soap or when you rationalize away
Why you haven't started yet? The working artist doesn't accept this kind of
Self-Destructive behavior in his life because it prevents him from his work
Yet resistance can be helpful
Resistance points us to our true calling... it can be felt when we fear
Starting a creative project. This fear means that it is something that we need to do... Something
We have a deep love for. If you didn't love a project. that's terrifying you, you wouldn't feel anything at all
[I] had some doubt you want excited upon the wire. I don't know if I'll [be] able to take
The more resistance you [feel] towards the project the more fulfilled you will be when you finish it
resistance always points us to our true north
so how do we
consistently beat resistance as Steven pressfield says by
Turning pro as he describes turning pro
it has nothing to do with making or not making money out of your creative work it is in fact a philosophy of work and
ideology of ethics on how you conduct your creative projects
You [can] turn professional one day and be an amateur again the next
in
short I
was back
Yes, yes, there is something. I want to ask you. How the fuck. Do you write so many books so fast [I]?
think oh
I've had a really good six months
I've written three chapters
[and] you you've got three books at that time the way that the way that I work
[I] try to get out there
And I try to get six pages a day
So with a book like end of watch and I work when I'm working I work [everyday]
three four hours, and I try to get those six pages
And I try to get them fairly clean and you do hit six pages a day
I usually do now that is an example of a pro
Espress Field states the professional knows that the mundane physical act of sitting down and starting to work sets in motion
and mysterious process that produces inspiration the amateur waits for
Inspiration the professional knows that it will come off
He starts now as you see turning pro has little to do with Talent George Rr
Martin is one of the most gifted authors [of] a generation that he hasn't turned Pro
which is why I am still waiting for his next book the
professional therefore x in the face of fear when the amateur fears a big creative endeavor he waits for the fear to disappear the
Professional knows this will never happen and start anyway
An amateur dreams of stardom of Glory the professional was no use for this
He knows that success. Is merely a byproduct of work
It does the work and lets the rewards come or not come as they may by doing this to pro avoids
Disappointment, an ally of resistance, that it will use to make us give up
Are you now or have you ever been a member of the communist party may I introduce don't you have it in self?
You're on board my work. No no no no no I so now. I'm making this determination the chair will rule
Critical not a minute your screenplays are too long. I've heard that before
The professional also plays it as it lays
He doesn't find excuses in bad luck
Adversity or injustice neither does he let a windfall or good luck fool him into thinking he is there already
I'll write you moving for 1,200 m and you don't want your name on
No, you don't want my name
He accepts the situation as it is the pro marches on no matter what the professional [lets] go of his ego
He doesn't take failure, or success personally
Fear of rejection is human and lies deep in everyone
Resistance knows this and uses it to paralyze us and prevent us from doing our work
[pressfield] states that this is one of the hardest aspects of turning pro the professional
Puts his heart and soul into his work
Then he steps [back] and assesses it hardly at coldly
He takes notes where he can do better his next project, and then he moves on the professional this accepts criticism
But never takes it personally he knows resistance will use rejection to break him
Therefore the professional and Juris Adversity
When he's faced down in the arena chewing of scent and everyone's laughing at him
He knows it is still better to be in the arena than standing on the sidelines
Mostly where the amateur might make romantic claims about doing it for the love?
About not caring or being even proud of not making money the professional recognizes that too much love will freeze him
Playing for money is the device he uses to adopt a Workingman mentality
Expressive states the muse of inspiration [laughs] a blue-collar work ethic
She lost a working stiff and hates prima donnas the pro takes money to turn his loss into his job
Technically place pay with in the end. He does it for a lost game
At this point you might be thinking what a cold and heartless way to look at creative work
Where's the romance where's the mythology where's the beauty and mystery of art?
These are things that we aim for when we turn pro because we know when we beat resistance and sit down to do our work
something magical happens
When we sit down and grind it out inspiration Strikes words start flow effortlessly?
Color the flow state call it being in the zone or as brassfield the [solid] abuse
wear resistance resides in hell
creation has a season heaven here the music's down and admire [show] grind your
professionalism when you present yourself to her with an advocate of egolessness and surfers she will come down and sit on your shoulder a
Powerful ally who will help you in your endeavor when we beat resistance and start the muse will guide us?
battling the Dark Force of resistance
Beside us until we finish our project
It is only at this moment when you type that last word when you play that last
Note when you dance that last step that you can look resistance in the eye and say rest in peace
Motherfucker after which you will start a new project and the battle starts anew
Thanks for watching everyone in the day or two
I will drop an extra video for our patrons where I will talk about other aspects of turning Pro
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