{"id":30994,"date":"2023-02-10T20:04:39","date_gmt":"2023-02-11T04:04:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=30994"},"modified":"2023-02-10T20:11:24","modified_gmt":"2023-02-11T04:11:24","slug":"give-us-what-youve-got","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/give-us-what-youve-got\/","title":{"rendered":"Give Us What You’ve Got!"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Could Change my Life\u2026 at Least my Writing<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHow many pages have I produced? I don\u2019t care. Are they any good? I don\u2019t even think about it. All that matters is I\u2019ve put in my time and hit it with all I\u2019ve got. All that counts is that for this day, for this session, I have overcome Resistance.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

This quote from Steven Pressfield makes me think of Dr. Clark\u2019s comment in a recent DLGP chat in which he said that not all of our blogs will be homeruns and that\u2019s okay. It is the process of writing weekly that is valuable and over time, we will strengthen and improve our skills and heighten the quality of our reading, thinking, and writing.[2]<\/a> In a similar way, Pressfield encourages us to see writing as a discipline. Create your routine and stick to it. Write regularly, whether or not you feel inspired. And the result will be that some of the material will be good, some not useable, and some will be extraordinary and as a whole, we will have a substantial body of writing from which to pull out essays, blogs, and even final NPO projects. This introductory quote from Pressfield just might transform the way I write.<\/p>\n

An Introduction to Pressfield and King<\/strong><\/p>\n

In our readings this week, Steven Pressfield and Stephen King offer writing insight, largely based on their personal experience. Pressfield, in his book, The War of Art, Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, <\/em>offers practical tips on overcoming \u201cresistance\u201d to creating one\u2019s art form, specifically writing. His book is divided into three sections in which he defines resistance and \u201cdestroys every reason you\u2019ve ever rationalized for not getting something done;\u201d \u00a0offers advice on overcoming resistance and dedicating yourself to your art; and presents inspiring suggestions on how to tap into intangible forces to help you create with wisdom and guidance from outside yourself.[3]<\/a><\/p>\n

Stephen King, in On Writing, A memoir of the Craft,<\/em> blends the story of his life with his learnings on the practice of writing, describing how his childhood shaped him as a writer and provided the roots from which his career evolved. Toward the end of the book, King describes his near-fatal accident in 1999 and the way in which writing inspired his recovery, mentally and physically.[4]<\/a> He challenges readers to set out on their own writing adventures, saying, \u201cWriting is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled up.\u201d[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

Writing Can be Part of the Healing<\/strong><\/p>\n

A point of similarity that I find interesting in these books is that both authors delve into their personal lives to tell stories of how their writing evolved and grew over time. Each highlights the fact that he was far from perfect as an individual and in his skillset before starting to write. Pressfield\u2019s chapter entitled, \u201cResistance and Healing,\u201d especially caught my attention. Here, he highlights the tendency for many of us to feel like we must reach a certain level of expertise or \u201chealing\u201d before we can write anything meaningful to share with others. He says, \u201cThe concept\u2026seems to be that one needs to complete his healing before he is ready to do his work. This way of thinking\u2026is a form of Resistance.\u201d[6]<\/a> At the end of the chapter, he concludes with, \u201cDon\u2019t get me wrong. I\u2019ve got nothing against true healing. We all need it. But it has nothing to do with doing our work and it can be a colossal exercise in Resistance.\u201d[7]<\/a><\/p>\n

Personal Application<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I was in college, I used to clean the house completely before I sat down to do my homework. This was a form of resistance and a way for me to feel \u201cmore put together\u201d so that I could start thinking more clearly and creating from my best vantage point. As I got older and had kids, the ability to get everything in order before I could sit down to work became completely unreasonable. I became more deeply aware of the \u201cmessiness\u201d in my internal life, though, and that often prevented me from starting the creative work to which God was calling me. I put the work on hold, waiting for that season until I felt wiser, sharper, more put-together. I felt a resistance to step fully into God\u2019s calling for fear that I wasn\u2019t good enough yet. I wondered, \u201cWho am I to offer my thoughts to the world from an imperfect perspective?\u201d Even today, I struggle with this thought. Perhaps, I need to step out in confidence and strength, knowing it\u2019s not my \u201ctogetherness\u201d that\u2019s needed to engage God\u2019s call, but my confidence and trust in God\u2019s ability to make a way.[8]<\/a><\/p>\n

There is a tension in the above process. There does need to be a particular level of maturity before we undertake certain stages of our life journey. But, there is also some wisdom in beginning to create and share our gifts with the world before we are completely \u201cput together\u201d and feeling at our best. Regarding the art of writing, Author Ally Fallon emphasizes in her book, The Power of Writing it Down\u00b8 <\/em>that there is measurable data that confirms the power of writing to heal past traumas, strengthen our immune systems, and increase our overall wellness.[9]<\/a> Writing can be a form of healing, in and of itself. The very things that come together for us as we write can be the elements discovered and needed for our growth and enlightenment. What we learn can also be a help to others.<\/p>\n

This makes me think of the story of Jesus healing the ten lepers. There is a short phrase in that story that says, \u201cand as they went, they were cleansed.\u201d[10]<\/a> It\u2019s often \u201cas we go\u201d that we are healed, setting out on the journey God opens before us, taking steps before we actually know where the story leads, believing we can move forward, even when we have no strength, motivation, or seeming courage.<\/p>\n

For me, I have been afraid in the past to share my thoughts until I am more fully \u201chealed.\u201d\u00a0 I think what Pressfield is saying is, we can\u2019t be forever working on the healing and not getting around to the work. I think what Jesus is saying is, step out on the journey that has opened before you and trust that as you go in His love and presence, you will find healing and more fully grow into the person you were intended to be. Start the work of living fully into your potential and don\u2019t hold back. If God is leading us into a life direction that involves sharing ourselves, we can begin now and resist the tendency to wait until we feel fully capable, for it is on the way, that we will grow healthier, more mature, and able.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am motivated to step forward in my imperfectness and to join with others in creating and offering ourselves, according to the work God has given us, and maybe, as we go, we will find the healing and wholeness for which we have been longing all along. In holding back, we stunt our growth and take ourselves out of the body working up to it\u2019s potential as God intended. Pressfield says, \u201cCreative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It\u2019s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don\u2019t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you\u2019ve got.\u201d[11]<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Steven Pressfield, The War of Art, Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles <\/em>(Los Angeles, CA: Black Irish Entertainment, LLC, 2002), vii-viii.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Jason Clark, DLGP01 Zoom Chat<\/em>, January 9, 2023.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Spencer Haws, \u201cMy Review of the War of Art by Steven Pressfield,\u201d in Niche Pursuits, <\/em>March 10, 2022, nichepursuits.com\/war-of-art-review\/.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Stephen King, On Writing, A Memoir of the Craft<\/em> (New York, NY: Scribner, 2000), 253.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> King, 270.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> Pressfield, 48.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Pressfield, 50.<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> Joshua 1:9 offers an inspiring example of God\u2019s call to Joshua to be strong and courageous and to remember that God is with him in the very journey to which he calls him.<\/p>\n

[9]<\/a> Allison Fallon, The Power of Writing it Down, A Simple Habit to Unlock Your Brain and Reimagine Your Life<\/em>\u00a0(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Thrive, 2020), 19.<\/p>\n

[10]<\/a> Luke 17:14.<\/p>\n

[11]<\/a> Pressfield, 165.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This Could Change my Life\u2026 at Least my Writing \u201cHow many pages have I produced? I don\u2019t care. Are they any good? I don\u2019t even think about it. All that matters is I\u2019ve put in my time and hit it with all I\u2019ve got. All that counts is that for this day, for this session, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":157,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2198,2197],"class_list":["post-30994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-king","tag-pressfield","cohort-dlgp01"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/157"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30994"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30994\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30996,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30994\/revisions\/30996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}