In the last couple of weeks, since I began the Daily Article, there has been a mini exodus from the Sunday Letter list – about 10 per day.
After every email I send you folks, no matter what the subject, there are always readers who opt out. Regardless, the mind immediately jumps to all that might be wrong with the content.
Maybe it's irritating to receive emails every day from the same person.
Maybe I should give more of you what you want to read instead of what I want to write.
Who wants to hear what I have to say, anyway?
Or perhaps, regardless of the response, I shouldn't give a fiddlers.
A singer-songwriter friend of mine once said in an interview (paraphrasing), “I never think of the listener when I write. Why would I do that? That's no concern of mine”.
In every sober moment there is the realisation that the thoughts, feelings and comments of others, supportive or not, should matter less than the process.
Every word written, every song sung, every piece of furniture made, must have in it something of the mind and heart of the maker.
Machines make things and that's convenient, but that's all it is. There's no soul in that.
This survival of the fittest, throwaway, consumerist culture of ours insists our work must have commercial value. It's killing the creative spirit and makes machines of people.
Don't sacrifice your humanity. Don't become a machine.
…after all, if you do really like what you’re doing, it doesn’t matter what it is, you can eventually become a master of it. It’s the only way to become a master of something, to be really with it. And then you’ll be able to get a good fee for whatever it is. So don’t worry too much. That’s everybody is–somebody is interested in everything, anything you can be interested in, you will find others will.
Alan Watts
I'll keep writing regardless of the response. The fact that many of you do respond, lets me know there are other like me out there. The numbers don't matter.
I like this topic Larry. For nearly 70 years, I have been preaching the same. My sense is, however, that our personal obsession with this topic may, at least in part, be due to our own less than full acceptance of the “follow your bliss creed”, and therefore our urgency to keep singing to the choir to convince us.
However, knowing that a little “bug” has the potential to wipe me out in a week or two helps me realize that, if the end were to come in such an undramatic fashion, I would have no regrets,
I think you’re right, insofar as I, whatever that is, is trying to figure out what it is. There’s a danger in positioning these ideas that we think we have it figured out – that we have the right to suggest to anyone how they should live their lives. Religion tried that and it doesn’t work. There’s a lot of so titled “self-development” material out there, stuff that is trying desperately on behalf of the author, to save everyone’s life. I deliberately try to steer clear of the terminology they use because I know that it’s naive. All that’s going on, it seems, is me. For you it’s you. You know what I mean? Everyone else is none of our business. So, when I write I write for me, I can’t do it for anyone else.
Your thoughtfulness is always welcome in my inbox. Thank you!
Nice one Vanessa!
I love your mails Larry…thought provoking snippets to the day. Invitations to delve a little deeper and rummage about in the sometimes abandoned corner of the thought drawer. I think we’re in flux at the moment and I find the same unsubscribes with my own blog, though there are always new people subscribing too. Please keep writing what you write and being who you are. It’s important. We’re at a crossroads and I hope we take the right road towards more authentic living. Thanks for sharing your authenticity. Patricia
Good on ya Patricia. Keep making – follow whatever it is that calls. We’ve little choice if we want to be happy. “The days you work are the best days” – Georgia O’Keeffe
Many thanks for reading!
I’ve heard it said – “what you think of me is none of my business!”
Keep on with this Larry for so long as you care to. Personally I find the dailies work best for me – though I continue to receive Sunday’s.
I like to write songs myself and the more I do it for “ fun and for free” the more satisfaction the process brings me.
God bless you Larry
Keep ‘er lit Jayson! many thanks for being here.