One guy, because it's always a guy, said Americans have this wishful thinking that a job should make them happy and they need to find fulfillment in other aspects of their lives.
Here's the problem with that thinking--art is in the top half of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
If your writing helps or does fulfill the bottom half, then HUZZAH! That's awesome!
But when you're freaking out about the bottom half, you know, the stuff like food, shelter, clothing, etc., it can seriously fuck with the part of you that likes to create stories.
My observation doesn't apply to everyone. There's a lot of people who get a thrill out of balancing on the knife edge of survival.
But for the rest of the writers, there's no point in making yourself miserable to prove some bizarre point. There's no shame in working a day job either if that's necessary to provide food, clothing, etc.
To me, there's no sense killing the part of you that finds joy in writing. Especially since there's a ton of other, easier, ways to make money. And a lot more of it, too.
Seriously. I don't know how many times I've pointed out that if writing is regularly a horrible slog, you should probably be doing something else, and had one or more snippy people slam me for not understanding that everyone's experience of writing is different.
ReplyDeleteNo, I get that. But if your experience of writing is SO different from mine that it feels like you're repeatedly stabbing yourself in the eyeball with a steak knife, then IMNSHO you need to Go Do Something Else. Because exactly what you said -- there are a lot of easier and more sure ways to make money if that's the only thing you're in it for. o_O Or even if you love having written a book, but the eight years it takes you to actually write that book feels like repeatedly stabbing yourself in the eyeball with a steak knife.
There's clearly something I'm not getting about these folks, but to me telling them to go do something else is like coaxing someone stumbling around on the edge of a cliff to come away from the crumbling precipice and go walk somewhere else. :P
Angie
I secretly think they would have more fun at an S&M dungeon with a professional dominatrix.
DeleteHeh, most likely. [wry smile]
DeleteAngie