Tag: inspiration

It has been said that the schizophrenic drowns in the same madness that the mystic swims in.  To expand on that metaphor, I’d like to add that the artist will paddle out on those same waters and start fishing.

When I get stressed or cocky, something usually comes along and reminds me that right now, RIGHT NOW, I’m hurling through space on a ball of iron and mud—one among trillions in the observable universe—and that my time here is the smallest drop in an unimaginably enormous bucket.  Ironically, using logic to remind myself of…

IMHO pain is like a food:  it can sustain you, it can make you stronger, it can even taste great…but if you hoard it then it turns rancid and toxic.

From what I’ve seen, getting better at something is a function of not just starting an endeavor, but following through and attempting to achieve goals on a consistent basis (finishing an activity is a skill in and of itself IMHO).  So once I factor in my available resources and any relevant inferences, my approach is…

I realize we’re all racing to the grave, and that it’s important to stop and smell the flowers.  That being said, life sometimes grabs your hand and throws you into the most terrifying/exhilarating/awful/awesome dance imaginable, and it is EQUALLY important to be able to let go of identity in that instance, and glory in the…

I understand that most people like to think of themselves as special, and cherrypick anecdotes/theories to support this belief (I am definitely guilty of this), but as I grow older, I’ve found that I prefer to focus on MAKING myself special; I like to take action on a daily basis that builds a mountain of…

“Force yourself to dive into the basics day after day, until you’re good enough to riff and produce greatness under a wide variety of circumstances.” —Paraphrase of Bruce Lee, Musashi, Stephen King, and every other person that understood tradition well enough to buck it.

Ironically, being able to drop “quality novelty” on a dime requires the artist to carve out regular blocks of time in pursuit of their craft.  It requires the artist to discipline themselves to tap the force of creation (or at least think about it) day after day…after day after day after day ad infinitum, contemplating…

Writing for others means being able to instantiate themes/philosophies through multiple perspectives and characters…in my opinion, this is more than a practical necessity; it’s the core requirement of every artist and mystic who wants to transcend the dualities of good and evil.  It is the core activity which fosters compassion, for in executing it, you…

When you are a writer (or any form of artist), I think you end up skating the madness-infused edges of possibility, catching glimpses of a fantastical truth, which—if consumed in the proper fashion—can make you saner than those around you.