Monday, August 15, 2011

Don't Do What You're Told!

 
Don't tell me what to do!  I'm not going to listen.  Go ahead, up the ante.  Tell me I can't do something.  See what happens.  I'm defiant, I'm a writer.

One year ago I started this blog despite the skepticism of one of my friends.  "How many ways can you relate the Rubik's Cube to writing?  You can't create enough new content to sustain an entire blog."

Ha!  How dare you question me?  I will prove you wrong!  Popeye had his cans of spinach to get fired up, but all you need to feed me is doubt.

They said it can't be done.
Erno Rubik doubted anyone would ever be able to solve his newly invented cube.  He worked at it for over a month before he finally worked out a solution.  Look how things have changed.  It can now be solved in less than six seconds.  And some cubers can do what was thought to be impossible:  solve the Rubik's Cube blindfolded.

Defiance breeds greatness.
I'm grateful that Rosa Parks didn't listen to that bus driver in Montgomery.  Thoughtful acts of defiance can grow into ideas that can change the world.  Would there be a Civil Rights Movement in the USA without Rosa Parks?  Probably.  Eventually.  But certainly not without defiance.

LaLaLaLaLa, I can't hear you!
I'm happy I didn't listen to my naysayers, just as most children are happy their parents didn't wait until they were ready to have kids.  Somehow I'm still here.  Happy Anniversary, Blog!

Rather than get discouraged by negative comments, I get motivated to journey on.  I write because writing is challenging.  I know I'm not going to change the world with my blog, but I'm going to keep doing it on my terms.  Maybe this is my last post, maybe not.

Are you going to do what you're told?
Are you a writer?  Have you ever been told to get a "real" job?  Why should you?  Because that's what everyone else thinks you should do?  Com'on!  Stick your tongue out at the world and say "pbthhh!"

I want to read your future, award-winning material.  I want to learn and experience your Earth-shattering ideas.  Despite the odds, despite what other people tell you to the contrary, what are you doing as a writer?  I'd love to hear from you.

3 comments:

  1. Well, I'm trying to learn how to write a screenplay... As far as defiance, I'm guessing it's a key ingredient in the recipe for success. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks or says, we do what we do because it feeds our souls.

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  2. I'm with Stephanie - we are artists in whichever medium we choose - because we intrinsically love what we do.

    If I'm the only person to ever read my novels, so be it. For me, it's about the process of creation.

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  3. Hi Stephanie, thanks for chiming in. You're right about feeding our souls. Cutting against the grain to achieve success is so much more fulfilling than taking the easy way and just going with the flow. And it's how WE define success that really matters. Good luck on your screenplay!

    Hi Mindi, as always, thanks for your great comments. Coming up with 90K+ words from just our minds is enough. That's a difficult concept for non-artists to understand. Publication or pieces showcased in an art gallery are bonuses. "I wrote that pile of words, I painted that beautiful portrait, I lifted that pile of weights, I ran a race faster than I ever have before, what have YOU done lately?"

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