wise words from the lovely Ms Dani Shapiro....and reading them today reminded me to once again, try to get the hell offline! For all you artists and writers out there (From Writing Still: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life by Dani Shapiro): I need to live by certain rules in order to protect my writing life. When I was starting out, I didnt understand this. A friend would call and ask me to lunch or, worse, breakfast, and Id jump at the chance to get away from my desk for a couple of hours and join the world of real people eating real meals. I convinced myself that I had enough discipline to go out for a bit and then return to my desk, perhaps even invigorated and refreshed...and then, an hour or two later, Id discover that my work day was over.... Our work requires us to adhere to certain rules -- not because were rigid or self-absorbed as frustrated friends or family might secretly think -- but because its the only way we can do it. If we are deep inside a story, were in another world -- the world weve created -- which, for the time being, is where we need to live if we are to make it real to ourselves and, ultimately, to others. I used to be angry with myself for my inability to live a normal life with normal rhythms and also be a writer. But Ive come to believe that normal is over-rated -- for artists, for everyone. When I was writing Devotion, all but the most essential tasks fell away. My hair got too long; I skipped my annual mammogram; the dogs nails went unclipped; the windows didnt get cleaned; I lost touch with friends. But I took care of my family, and my book got written. That was all I could manage.... Be a good steward to your gift. This is the first sentence on a list I keep tacked to the bulletin board in my Beatrix Potters Desk by John Fisherstudy, an impeccable set of instructions left by the poet Jane Kenyon. * Protect your time. * Feed your inner life. * Avoid too much noise. * Read good books, have good sentences in your ears. * Be by yourself as often as you can. * Walk. * Take the phone off the hook. * Work regular hours. ...Culivate solitude in your writing space, your car, at the kitchen table when the house is empty. Get your blood moving, get your feet on the earth. Your mind is not floating in space but connected to a body. Kenyon wrote this before the lure of the Internet became like crack cocaine for most writers so I would add, Disable the Internet. Find a rhythm. This is wisdom from a poet who died too young. I never knew her but she has helped me as much as anyone I have ever known.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Apr 2014 16:32:01 +0000
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