The philosophy of author Robert Fritz is revealed through numerous books, most notability The Path of Least Resistance. He dives deep into the creative process.
His writings tend to have a bigger influence on my writings than I realize. I can read one chapter and it'll spawn many indirect thoughts and reflections.
Here's what started as a reflection on our ideals.
Is living up to your ideals hurting you up?
Have my efforts in the area of personal development hurting my efforts to actually improve myself? In his book Creating, read chapter 5: The Ideal-Belief-Realty conflict.
Robert sites that many ultra accomplished individuals harbor a negative opinion of themselves. It's the negativity option of themselves that drives them. Every decision is an effort to offset that opinion of themselves!
While I am not a parent, I do parent myself and the parenting of myself often sounds like an echo of my own parents.
There is a default mode network (node) to be aware of. Specifically, the node kicks in when our mind wanders off task. When we begin thinking about others, ourself, or the past, or the future.
The node is a task-negating mode. When we get back on task, the node falls away. When we get off-task, the node is once again in effect.
Are busy people happier?
This begs the question that too much idle time creates a void in doing, in which the node begins to creep in. You see this with people who are quite entrenched in other people's business.
I would argue business itself does not lead to happiness, but being productive does. I find that I am happiest on the days I am productive. When I feel as if I've accomplished something or made a notable breakthrough in specific area.
I find that a few key questions at the end of the day can really open things up for me:
Take for example the opinion I hold that I am insignificant. Ask the question - what is wrong with having this opinion? When you believe this opinion, you will inevitable lead to what you believe you deserve. If you believe yourself to be insignificant, than becoming significant is not deserved, and will never come about as a result (or every time it does, you will push it away or discount it).
Consider a new route.
The only thing of significance me is what I create. The opinions of others of who I am do not matter, opinions of what I create matter more. After all, who I am is short lived, what I create is what lasts. I am not my creation and any criticism of my creation is not a criticism of the creator.
Her references a quote from Sam Shepard. He mentions that writing is not therapy, but rather the opportunity to discover new things about himself. Rather than rid himself of unwanted aspects "I shake hands with my demons."
The net of this chapter is revealed in his statement "It doesn't matter what you think of yourself, and what you think of yourself has no impact on the creative process." In reality, the focus on the creator (and not the creation) only stands to get in the way.
Today, I will seek to distinguish between the creator and the creation. I will recognize creators as completely separate from what is created. While there's a huge emphasis on the creator in our culture, it's the creation that matters in the end, not the creator.
People will form options of the creator based on the creations of that creator - and that's really all that matters (and I know that that everyone's opinions are full of bias anyway).
The difference between professionals and amateurs is that professionals can create despite how they are feeling at the time.
Fritz explains how to separate ourselves from our creations, our feelings, our emotions, and even our thoughts.
The reason why Mozart was able to write his best work during a period of great suffering was because he was able to separate his life from his work. In fact, it was his ability to channel the suffering he was feeling into his music that was so amazing. I feel like this is the key of many great songwriters.