From “The Artist Begins Again and Again” by Christine Valters Painter:
There will be days when we don’t feel like coming to blank page or canvas or the meditation cushion. There will be days when life seems to conspire actively against this, and we begin to believe that the creative life just isn’t possible for us or that our lives are too full to cultivate this kind of free expression. This is acedia talking, a kind of dialogue with the inner critic that haunts most artists and sabotages our sincerest efforts. When this happens—and it will happen—our invitation is to gently notice this and begin yet again.
The next time you find yourself resisting time spent with your creative passion, draw on the wisdom of monks and make a commitment to start anew right now. Hold yourself lightly, perhaps even seeing humor in your patterns. Humor is rooted in the word humus, which means earthiness and is also the root of the word humility. Acknowledge that you are human and to be human means to forget sometimes our deeper desires. Embrace your imperfections as the landscape of your journey.
Each morning ask where you need to begin and start there with humility, compassion, and with holy anticipation. Everything else follows this.
Thanks for sharing Ross!
I love the part about the etymology of “humor.” Surely “human” is connected etymologically as well. Thanks for posting!
Enjoyed reading this, Ross. Thank you for following my blog. I’m looking forward to reading your stuff. Keep writing.
~RDS
Thanks Randall!
A bit of serendipity here… I was listening to Leonard Cohen this morning…That’s how the light gets in…
Wonderful post! It’s true that even when we are doing a thing we love, we can lose sight of it in the face of everyday struggles and exhaustion can overwhelm us. But you’re right. When that happens, the best thing is to simply begin again and try. Peace will follow.