February 23, 2016
FIGHT THE RESISTANCE
8:59pm (central standard time?) 27,000ft and climbing
I started reading a new book. It is completely in line with where I am right now with art, life, creativity, pressing onward. The book is entitled:
theWARofART — Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles — by Steven Pressfield
I am only on page twenty one, thus I have no real authority to write an exhaustive book review, so that is not what I am doing. HA! This book met me right here on this day in the midst of this creative challenge where I have put aside the “RESISTANCE” and everything that would tell me not to write and I am doing it. 
Pressfield digs into the idea that there is something out there doing all that is in its power to keep us from creating, branching out, doing what we are truly called to do. Pressfield go so much further on what this “RESISTANCE” is. As I cracked open this book, it was giving language to something I have been thinking about and fighting against with every creative thing I attempt to do.
You see, I have been diagnosed as what they call a PROCRASTINATOR. Actually today I can say I am a recovering one, but it has been a battle of mine for quite some time. Ultimately it is a battle with myself and the fear that my work sucks. Whatever work it may be.
When I was in university I would wait until the last possible moment to write my papers. I remember one semester I wrote twelve papers in two weeks. Not the ideal route to success. But part of the struggle was having an excuse if my work sucked. If I got a low grade I would have the excuse that I wrote the paper the night before, surprisingly I did quite well on most of the papers. I proudly graduated with honors.
I thrive in the pressure cooker. I suck at self imposed deadlines….. except this month with this creative challenge of writing a blog a day, maybe I have reached a new level of breakthrough in fighting my own resistance…. historically, if I would set a deadline myself, I would know that I can push that deadline back without much consequence.
procrastination is a liar
Lately I have had a fire in me when someone talks about a creative venture they desire to pursue. Whether it is writing, painting, a business idea, a dream, travel — whatever it is, I have had a fire in my belly to challenge people to just f’in do it. Stop making excuses. Stop being afraid and just start moving. I am very confident that I will write books in my life, thus I need to write more, even if it sucks and no one reads it – that is not the point at this stage in the game. At this stage in the game the goal to to put in the work.
just do something
Here is your nugget for the day — fight the resistance. Take the first step. Buy some art supplies. Write down where you want to travel too. Map out your dept issue and start to built a plan towards freedom. Just start moving!!!
“if you pray, move your feet.” african proverb
*But if you want to be a photographer, don’t buy the most expensive DSLR and start saying you are now a professional photographer. That is a pet peeve of mine. Just start creating with whatever tools you currently own. It is not the tools that will make you successful, its growing your craft…. get better gear later when people are paying you.
**workout status — null — full, full day – work, friends, flights….time for much needed sleep.
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