Episode 84: DC Pierson another great one. Thanks
Posted: November 8th, 2012, 2:22 pm
Episode 84: DC Pierson another great one. Thanks for the openness and honesty gents.
Wow. I had kind of a breakthrough listening to this interview! It's funny because at first I didn't really like it. I was thinking, "this guy doesn't have any real problems. He's written a book; how great would that be? Me, I'm suffering from writer's block and it's hell. I have an opportunity for publication and I'm letting it slip through my fingers, and I'm so, so scared I'll never get another chance. This guy is so productive; how could his problems be like mine?"
But then I started to relate to him, especially his fears. Sure, he's written a book, but he still worries about money, about never making it, about feeling like you've already missed your chance (or made some horrible mistake so that you'll miss your chance when it comes), about trying to do too many things at once. I'm happiest when I'm super-productive, so I think doing more is the answer, but you can be a high achiever and still end up breaking down and crying alone in the bathroom over hard-to-pin-down feelings. I loved that Paul said, "achievement isn't life."
Then something totally unexpected happened. Part way through the fears list, I got inspired. I paused the audio, opened up my file and started writing. Just a little, but it flowed, and I see where it has to go next. Best part: it felt good. Not scary at all. Like something I chose, not something I was forced to do in a panic. I suddenly feel like it just might happen; I may finish this thing after all. Holy shit.
What really helped me was that line, "Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast." It reminded me of something. I've been practicing meditation (mindfulness) every day for the last week or so, and two days ago I put away some things I should have dealt with years ago -- things that remind me of what I thought of as a past failure. They'd been sitting in a corner of my room, tormenting me, and suddenly I just got up, packed them up, and put them in the attic. And I noticed as I did it that I was moving slowly, calmly, and deliberately. In half an hour a problem was solved that I'd been stressing about for five years. Slowly, smoothly, then suddenly done. That is the strategy I need to bring to my writing, and that phrase encapsulates it perfectly. I'm going to remember it, and keep practicing mindfulness.
Oh, and finally -- the letter at the end about the music student who started crying while playing, and looked up to see everyone was affected the same way -- that was so fucking powerful. It confirmed for me that following your passion, and sharing it with others, is the greatest joy in life; in fact, it's the only way to have a truly meaningful life.
Thanks for an inspiring show.