So much is to be found in a random moment of invitation. I had a paradigm-shifting conversation this week (or a paradigm-affirming conversation, rather). Months ago, I read an article, Don’t Just Write a Novel This November. Write a Bad Novel, which took the form of a critique of National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo), but it was really a celebration of the act of making art just for art’s sake—all that is sacred and dear to NaNoWriMo.
I've always told my students that in a capitalist society, where every act and every person is monetized, and the propulsive force is to consume, to create is a revolutionary act.
I attended a gathering of writers a local bookstore hosted last week and met a woman who has written three books, none published. She hasn’t even tried to publish them, because self-doubt, but also, because, as she says, that’s not why she writes.
I was a maker in the early days of Etsy and was selling my handmade goods at local craft shows and after several years I took a hard look at myself and realized I wasn’t enjoying the creation part of my art anymore - it was all about “how can I monetize this?”
What I’m trying to say is you and Vanessa are 100% correct. Making/creating/writing *are* all valuable just for the act of it. ❤️ And that Miller person sounds deeply unhappy.
Wow, I cannot express how much this resonated for me! There’s such an elegant truth here. Just create. Create because it’s worthy just to create. Maybe you sell it, maybe you don’t, but you and the world around you will be better for doing it.
I love it when two of my worlds collide! I’ve been a huge Vanessa Zoltan fan since I discovered the Harry Potter and the sacred text podcast about 6 or 7 years ago! So glad you have both been in touch and I hope you’ll go on one of her podcasts another day 😍
Finding the sacred in the secular
I've always told my students that in a capitalist society, where every act and every person is monetized, and the propulsive force is to consume, to create is a revolutionary act.
I attended a gathering of writers a local bookstore hosted last week and met a woman who has written three books, none published. She hasn’t even tried to publish them, because self-doubt, but also, because, as she says, that’s not why she writes.
I was a maker in the early days of Etsy and was selling my handmade goods at local craft shows and after several years I took a hard look at myself and realized I wasn’t enjoying the creation part of my art anymore - it was all about “how can I monetize this?”
What I’m trying to say is you and Vanessa are 100% correct. Making/creating/writing *are* all valuable just for the act of it. ❤️ And that Miller person sounds deeply unhappy.
Wow, I cannot express how much this resonated for me! There’s such an elegant truth here. Just create. Create because it’s worthy just to create. Maybe you sell it, maybe you don’t, but you and the world around you will be better for doing it.
Thank you for this, Grant!
I love it when two of my worlds collide! I’ve been a huge Vanessa Zoltan fan since I discovered the Harry Potter and the sacred text podcast about 6 or 7 years ago! So glad you have both been in touch and I hope you’ll go on one of her podcasts another day 😍
Thank you for sharing, absolutely agree!!