Friday, December 17, 2010

The Meaning of Life/why I write




The Meaning of Life


To me, the meaning of life is the arrival of self-actualization, therefore, I challenge you to think on these things.

Why do I write?

I write because I need to write. I was born to write.  I need to author thriller novels. My life is utterly unfulfilled if I fail to write. Writing in this moment is important because I can never experience this moment again. We can never again be who we are today, because we are constantly changing; therefore, it is important to chronicle our feelings, our outlook on life and document the lens from which we see life today, which in turn, chronicles our growth.

A wise man once said, “ An individual cannot step into the same body of water twice, because the composition of the water has changed and so has the individual. "
The same is true with all art. It is consistent with the spirit of the individual, cohesive with his or her genius and a footprint unique to ones calling. It is God’s way of speaking to us through the medium of growth and the nature of growth is change.

Art is not only therapeutic; it is the quintessential experience of who we really are and in a greater since it awakens the genius in others. For example, whether we write a story which moves us or create an oil painting that moves us we discover that form is irrelevant. The point is the true self relates to the inanimate entity that moves us. There is relationship there.

Some relationships are latent, others are manifested. They are effective only when we truly come in contact with who we really are. This realization can be difficult to attain if we are not true to self. Social edicts, the desire to please others and the need to make a living sometimes thwart our growth toward this passion, but the ultimate individual responsibility and the final spiritual reality is to make this contact and hold onto it at all cost. There is the reality of influence which may or may not encourage us in the direction in which we are meant to travel.

The above mentioned realities are clarified for me through my writing. Through the process of writing, that which is latent is soon discovered. Unwanted influences are challenged and entities, thoughts and concepts that do not agree with who I am are brought to light.

A wise man once said “A life unexamined is a life not worth living.”
Words on paper force the reality of self examination to manifest. It is at this point that I am self actualized. It is in that space that I discover and re-discover who I am and where I am going. This experience makes me happy. After all, it is the essential expression of immortality. Long after we have passed into the greater world, our writing yet lives. Art, alone is immortal. History may be forgotten, and legends are subject to prejudicial interpretation, but art lives, subject to the experience of the reader or the viewer; therefore it is always fresh. It may be old in concept but new when experienced. It is experienced in real time as new, because the perspective of each individual who read the work or views a painting is as unique as the individual.

Nietzsche said, “Man looks into the abyss and there is nothing looking back at him. It is at that point that man finds character, and that is what keeps him from the abyss. “
If I could not write, I would be eternally lost in an abyss and without a bookshelf. A person who cannot appreciate art is viewing it from the abyss. If I could not write, I could not dream and would not likely discover why I was born. I therefore, encourage you (my fellow writers) to never give up. For me, it is not about the number of books I sell. It is not about having a popular publisher. It is not about fame. It is about getting words on paper, because I do not choose to live an unexamined life. During my last day on earth I do not want to regret anything, therefore, I am.

see: www.dailywritingtips.com/creative-​writing-101

1 comment:

Period, Case-Closed said...

I feel as if I have been sitting in a church or mosque all the while listening to a Les Brown, Ziz Ziglar, Wayne Dyer, just to name a few. I've NEVER been quite so clear in all my days as to my "calling" - my "meaning".
My god, I tell you I can teach a class on this for days. I am grateful for your clarity on your "The Meaning of Life..." and "...Why You Write!".
This was perfection - Period, Case-Closed!