The recipients of our injurious words and actions most often constitute the group of people closest to us, daughters, sons, mothers, wives, husbands, fathers, co-workers, professional partners and colleagues, classmates, students, employees, those subordinate, lateral and even sometimes superior in professional rank to us.
Why do we do it?
Childhood hurts yet to be resolved, fear crowding in from all dimensions and directions of the unknown, the need to feel powerful when everything in life, even our own whisper, urges we are not.
The list stands endless.
It is in the continual drama of this human dilemma, that of facing life filled with so many people who are not happy, more importantly those tortured by the inner demons whose shadows few know exist, and the individuals themselves will most often never see, that writers weave our stories.
Alas, we are, all of use, trying to find meaning.
Whether the oppression or hurt falls from a political dictator, or a near sadist employer, or our mother, father, child, sibling, or spouse, the pain we endure at the hands, voice, and/or actions and decisions of whomever stimulate fear and dread, and oftentimes despair.
The best writers cull their stories from this dark side of life, which many, and much about living, urges us to turn from.
The artist, though often wishing to escape and ignore these tragedies, cannot. We must remain present.
Not unlike the mother or father who takes seriously her or his job, our promise and mission of nurturing those whom we have ushered into this world and without their permission, the artist must stand firm and committed to our work.
Our creations stand rooted to the very soul of humankind.
Dwelling in the crucible of our own aches and fears moves and shifts our soul, incites shifts and changes that we cannot ignore. And so we paint, make music, write.
What lifts your soul or presses upon it to a point of nearly crushing it?
Identify that and you have identified both the inspiration and the greatest obstacle to doing that work to which you have been called.
You also have the primal root of what the universe has summoned you to create and the ultimate meaning behind the work you will do.
Insightful, rare wisdom. Very inspiring. Thank you.
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