When I logged on to Twitter earlier this evening, I came across the following tweet quoting Lao Tzu: “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” If there is such a thing as divine intervention, here it was working its magic.
For too long now I have been held hostage by this unsettling feeling of being unhinged. Change has been a constant in my life. I’ve never been afraid to try something new, take a risk — in a word: go to where the truth lies. But when I am honest with myself, all the change that I’ve experienced in the last year — a new love, a new home, a new city — it has all been good yet overwhelming. It has strengthened me as much as it has knocked me off kilter. The cost? My artwork. It has been a struggle getting to the page, the easel and the piano. I have tried to edge forward, one day at a time, trying to be patient.
I have been in creative limbo before, and I know that I can overcome it again now if I am willing to see myself for who I am so that I can “become what I might be.” So I am back to setting small, doable tasks. Like this morning, I edited three pages of a manuscript, and this evening I worked a little more on the manuscript. When I came home for lunch, I sat down for ten minutes at the piano and practiced a recent composition.
Despite feeling “unhinged,” despite the long months of creative limbo, today I managed to do, as Julia Cameron encourages, “the next right thing.” Today I soldiered on, clinging steadfast to my dreams and the hope that, despite the turbulent creative weather of late, I will succeed.
For too long now I have been held hostage by this unsettling feeling of being unhinged. Change has been a constant in my life. I’ve never been afraid to try something new, take a risk — in a word: go to where the truth lies. But when I am honest with myself, all the change that I’ve experienced in the last year — a new love, a new home, a new city — it has all been good yet overwhelming. It has strengthened me as much as it has knocked me off kilter. The cost? My artwork. It has been a struggle getting to the page, the easel and the piano. I have tried to edge forward, one day at a time, trying to be patient.
I have been in creative limbo before, and I know that I can overcome it again now if I am willing to see myself for who I am so that I can “become what I might be.” So I am back to setting small, doable tasks. Like this morning, I edited three pages of a manuscript, and this evening I worked a little more on the manuscript. When I came home for lunch, I sat down for ten minutes at the piano and practiced a recent composition.
Despite feeling “unhinged,” despite the long months of creative limbo, today I managed to do, as Julia Cameron encourages, “the next right thing.” Today I soldiered on, clinging steadfast to my dreams and the hope that, despite the turbulent creative weather of late, I will succeed.
Good luck, M! One creative task at a time will be still a wonderful creation.
ReplyDeleteHi Marcus! This is indeed very moving and inspiring, can I Retweet this to my followers in twitter? if so you are more than welcome to Rt towards me and from there let it do it's magic.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the harder it gets the greater it comes! So cheers to you, and I hope this is an introduction to a Great friendship :) Thanks you're artist friend
Mary