During the long commute to and from work, I've started listening to podcasts. Yes, that's right. I've joined the human race as it is nowadays, technologically speaking. While I'm not much of a talk radio person and enjoy turning the music up to "11", I've come to appreciate a handful of podcasters. One such personality is Ryan Holiday and his podcast "The Daily Stoic." What grabbed me by the proverbial lapels was his breathless and energetic interview with actor Matthew McConaughey. I already own a few of Mr. Holiday's books and have seen references to his podcasts, but for some reason, I felt like listening. Also, passing Mr. McConaughey's book "Green Lights" in the store a few weeks ago, I was intrigued so I flipped through it and now it has a temporary home in my Amazon wish list.
Fast forward a few podcasts to today, where I fell to listening to Ryan interview author Steven Pressfield. As I listened to these two authors talk back and forth about books they've read, writing style, philosophy and etc., I was challenged to get back to writing myself.
I have been my worst enemy about this and so many other things. We won't consider those other things here except to say that I am a work in progress (as Marcus Aurelius wrote, "Stop talking about what the good man is. Just be one"). I have struggled greatly this last year with so many things and have been trying to get my feet back under me. Anyone who knows me also knows my love for reading and writing, which as of this last year, has suffered greatly. I count one full page of writing my daily journal a small victory, but even then getting that done has been difficult and the only reason is that I've made time for anything else but that. So my goal is to change that.
One simply does not find the time to read, write, or do anything else for that matter. One makes the time to read, write, or do anything else, for that matter. So with a few small adjustments, my aim is to get something down.
I have no difficulty writing in terms of finding a topic. Every page is a "tabula rasa" (blank slate) and all that remains is that it be filled. There was no plan in writing this except to write. The content sort of fills itself. This is why I am a firm disbeliever in so-called "writer's block." All one needs to do is start. Once words fill the page, the topic reveals itself. Of course this also might mean that the first few paragraphs (or pages) might be trash, but isn't it true that a pump must be primed? Musn't a little water be wasted for the water pump to work?
That great philosopher, Bob Ross, used to say there is no such thing as mistakes, only happy accidents. So, if nothing prevents me, I'm going to make the time to tink happy thawts and let them flow in the shape of happy accidents all over the page. Maybe some reader or writer will be inspired!
