Wonderful reminder of the power of words, whether spoken or written. The Bible makes that abundantly clear as we read what God spoke, beginning with speaking life into existence. Thank you for your writings!!!!!
“My panacea is prose” is such a precise sentiment. There’s this interview with Ethan Hawke where he says that all of us have the power to create and to “save” ourselves from mortal despair through being creative- but we’re too afraid…but really the power of creating through any media (writing, especially, which I think is the most personal and intimate) is what fosters our own belief in existence (and thus all those good accompanying emotions associated with self-actualization and fulfillment) in lieu of the sometimes wayward-leading, dangerous, and more likely to be abused reward systems that originate from hard drugs and other “deviant” vices.
Words are proven in neuroscience to quite literally shape the architecture of your brain, so you literally become what you are. Or, rather, what you create.
I think what makes creation so compelling and fulfilling is the dual benefit of communication and expression. Ultimately, we are all longing to know and be known. We used to have this in our intimate communities, in our tribes, but this is so much more difficult today. Even when we do see our friends and family, it’s only for part of the week. We have other parts of our lives sequestered away. This is good and bad. And so we are isolated.
A cheap substitute is social media, but this is often purely demonstrative. It feels like expression, but it’s not authentic; it feels like communication, but no one is responding, at least not in a genuine way. So then we turn to consumption, and try to feel what others are feeling (acting that they are feeling), but there’s also no two-way communication. Still, it’s something, and quite beautiful in many ways, which is why I love stories in all forms.
But I do think it’s problematic when people only consume, and rob themselves of the opportunity to create.
So in the end, thank you so much for responding, because it that’s what turns my writing into authentic communication.
That’s a very good point. I’ve often struggled to know when to consume and when to create. Sometimes I consume to avoid creating. But I’d like to think that at my best, it becomes an ecosystem of sorts where I am an active listener and receive ideas when I consume at the same flow that I create. If that makes sense.
I’m currently drafting my first substack post - really due to your example- and I hope it will help me get me in that zone of generating work- and I did wrestle with the idea of making one at all, wondering if I was just making “another social media” that would delude my inner voice. But I do feel that there is a subtle line of difference - if I share directly from the heart, that’s much different from sharing from a false pretense (like social media lures me to do, I’m loathe to admit).
You hit the nail on the head— “active listener.” It takes me a lot longer to consume books and movies because I always spend an hour (or several) analyzing them afterwards, or at the very least recording my impressions— How did it make me feel? What parts? Why?
This transforms it from a mere pleasurable experience to a nutritional one. In the same way that sweets and snacks are easy to consume (in large quantities), but don’t fill us up, while in contrast a delicious meal with vegetables, carbs, protein, and eaten in the context of friends, slowly— all of this takes way more time and effort, but is way more fulfilling. So it is with good media. And it’s ok to splurge every now and then- some trash tv or desserts- you’d be a Luddite not too.
Will Mannon used to say that our minds are like damns— you have to have the input of good media and information and art in order to create the lake, but you also have to have some sort of creative output, otherwise the damn bursts. I say, go for it! Excited to read more of your stuff!
I love that! That’s a good analogy from Will too- feel like Farrar has said something similar to me before. At least, he encourages me not to fall for petty “trends” and devote myself to my art for the long haul. But fun and play are at the heart of it, for sure, even if that does include some trashy and mind numbing things, which are the mind’s quick fix for dopamine.
Thank you! Just published my first post, with some typos (yikes!) but I’m so excited to develop further. I appreciate the encouragement!
Wonderful reminder of the power of words, whether spoken or written. The Bible makes that abundantly clear as we read what God spoke, beginning with speaking life into existence. Thank you for your writings!!!!!
“My panacea is prose” is such a precise sentiment. There’s this interview with Ethan Hawke where he says that all of us have the power to create and to “save” ourselves from mortal despair through being creative- but we’re too afraid…but really the power of creating through any media (writing, especially, which I think is the most personal and intimate) is what fosters our own belief in existence (and thus all those good accompanying emotions associated with self-actualization and fulfillment) in lieu of the sometimes wayward-leading, dangerous, and more likely to be abused reward systems that originate from hard drugs and other “deviant” vices.
Words are proven in neuroscience to quite literally shape the architecture of your brain, so you literally become what you are. Or, rather, what you create.
Loved this intersection of science & art.
Thanks Belle!
I think what makes creation so compelling and fulfilling is the dual benefit of communication and expression. Ultimately, we are all longing to know and be known. We used to have this in our intimate communities, in our tribes, but this is so much more difficult today. Even when we do see our friends and family, it’s only for part of the week. We have other parts of our lives sequestered away. This is good and bad. And so we are isolated.
A cheap substitute is social media, but this is often purely demonstrative. It feels like expression, but it’s not authentic; it feels like communication, but no one is responding, at least not in a genuine way. So then we turn to consumption, and try to feel what others are feeling (acting that they are feeling), but there’s also no two-way communication. Still, it’s something, and quite beautiful in many ways, which is why I love stories in all forms.
But I do think it’s problematic when people only consume, and rob themselves of the opportunity to create.
So in the end, thank you so much for responding, because it that’s what turns my writing into authentic communication.
That’s a very good point. I’ve often struggled to know when to consume and when to create. Sometimes I consume to avoid creating. But I’d like to think that at my best, it becomes an ecosystem of sorts where I am an active listener and receive ideas when I consume at the same flow that I create. If that makes sense.
I’m currently drafting my first substack post - really due to your example- and I hope it will help me get me in that zone of generating work- and I did wrestle with the idea of making one at all, wondering if I was just making “another social media” that would delude my inner voice. But I do feel that there is a subtle line of difference - if I share directly from the heart, that’s much different from sharing from a false pretense (like social media lures me to do, I’m loathe to admit).
You hit the nail on the head— “active listener.” It takes me a lot longer to consume books and movies because I always spend an hour (or several) analyzing them afterwards, or at the very least recording my impressions— How did it make me feel? What parts? Why?
This transforms it from a mere pleasurable experience to a nutritional one. In the same way that sweets and snacks are easy to consume (in large quantities), but don’t fill us up, while in contrast a delicious meal with vegetables, carbs, protein, and eaten in the context of friends, slowly— all of this takes way more time and effort, but is way more fulfilling. So it is with good media. And it’s ok to splurge every now and then- some trash tv or desserts- you’d be a Luddite not too.
Will Mannon used to say that our minds are like damns— you have to have the input of good media and information and art in order to create the lake, but you also have to have some sort of creative output, otherwise the damn bursts. I say, go for it! Excited to read more of your stuff!
I love that! That’s a good analogy from Will too- feel like Farrar has said something similar to me before. At least, he encourages me not to fall for petty “trends” and devote myself to my art for the long haul. But fun and play are at the heart of it, for sure, even if that does include some trashy and mind numbing things, which are the mind’s quick fix for dopamine.
Thank you! Just published my first post, with some typos (yikes!) but I’m so excited to develop further. I appreciate the encouragement!
Congrats! I don’t see it? Is it in substack?
Lol, I don’t know if I did it right! Here’s the link:https://open.substack.com/pub/bellesinclair/p/an-open-heart?r=1bdeh4&utm_medium=ios