Do You Find It Hard To Create Alongside A Day Job?
Then this episode is for you.
This week in Unlocking Big Magic we talk about the Persistence chapter. This is my favourite chapter because it talks about all the struggles we have finding time to write, alongside all the other things life demands of us. This is not just a modern phenomena — apparently Herman Melville wrote to his friend about that exact same problem.
So often we wish that we didn’t have to work and earn money. Maybe we wish that there was someone who would take care of all of that for us so we can sit at ease in our studios and create. Liz Gilbert wags a finger at us here and says that we have to be responsible for our own place in the world and take care of ourselves, alongside our creativity.
Unfortunately on the video, when I was reading the quote that had punched me between the eyes, the sound quality dips. My wifi connection at the time of recording these videos was often crap and it sometimes distorts when I am speaking. I am going to give you that quote now from pages 154 and 155 of the book:
“This a world¸ not a womb. You can look after yourself in this world while looking after your creativity at the same time — just as people have done for ages. What’s more, there is a profound sense of honour to be found in looking after yourself, and that honour will resonate powerfully in your work; it will make your work stronger…
I was always willing to work hard so that my creativity could play lightly. In so doing, I became my own patron; I became my own studio wife.”
I like how she says that it makes your work stronger. I can attest to this. The pressures that I have had around finding time to write as well as work, be a wife and care for my parents has definitely contributed to the work and made it better than it would otherwise have been.
There’s also some good stuff on dealing with perfectionism.
You can watch the episode here:
Or click through to this blog for a transcript:
