My friend, you've 'picked the scab!' Once again you've forced me to think. If "imitation is truly the sincerest form or flattery," then only a few must really be flattered. I've grown tired of people telling us 'how they made the damn thing,' 'how they collected more Substack followers,' 'how they beat the system and either got their work published, or found an agent,' etc.
"The erosion of absolute truth is rooted in selfishness…" is an original quote (original as in I made it up myself - all by myself - without anyone's help or their partial previous thought) that you may see in my next book due out in January. NO, I'm not trying to sell books, I'm not trying to be the smartest guy in the room, I'm not trying to be something I'm not nor beg for adulation or anything else. The quote works with the story - which happens to be original. And "original" is where I'm landing on your essay. Recently I purged all of the authors I was following that weren't advancing the ball of life through originality. Those (like yourself) are the ones I really enjoy reading. Like Deborah Hewitt, Joan Stommen, Kimberly Warner, Charles Jarvis, even Rona Maynard (with whom I often don't agree philosophically) get my attention. They are plowing fresh ground and advancing the craft by challenging our minds while being self-deprecating while doing so. Many of the rest are writing without having anything to say.
So keep up the good work of insightfully viewing life, recording it, and challenging those of us around you who really enjoy your work!
Bob! Thank you for this. I absolutely count you as someone creating original work, and more than that, fostering community around it which I the next most important thing in art.
Dear Bob and Martin, I can't tell you how much I enjoy originality and those who are wholly themselves. Do the thing and do it with all you have been blessed with. Who cares about the rest!! I, too, am over the conversation about the thing or the circle of madness (as I call it) which leads to nowhere. It rots as Martin said. The fly trap. No growth or beauty in that. It's a beautiful "thing" to create, build, restore, etc.," and leave it at just that. I have been so in this headspace forever that I am glad to be the mouse who doesn't want on the wheel. It's a relief not to be a part of this exhaustion.
And Bob, I was so surprised to see my name in your comment here! What an honor. I have been nothing but inspired by you and grateful for the increasing growth you have given my heart for creating. I appreciate you both. Gonna spend some time reading more of your work Martin! Thank you for this and Merry Christmas. oxox
Thank you, Deborah! I appreciate all of this and your perspective on getting off the wheel. I've been feeling that a lot lately. Just do your thing and whatever happens from it happens. That seems like the only way to maintain sanity these days :)
Excellent. I nodded along knowlingly … and I am off to delete the draft post about how may drafts I have on my dashboard. It’s time to turn one of them into a thing, a THING, dammit!
My friend, you've 'picked the scab!' Once again you've forced me to think. If "imitation is truly the sincerest form or flattery," then only a few must really be flattered. I've grown tired of people telling us 'how they made the damn thing,' 'how they collected more Substack followers,' 'how they beat the system and either got their work published, or found an agent,' etc.
"The erosion of absolute truth is rooted in selfishness…" is an original quote (original as in I made it up myself - all by myself - without anyone's help or their partial previous thought) that you may see in my next book due out in January. NO, I'm not trying to sell books, I'm not trying to be the smartest guy in the room, I'm not trying to be something I'm not nor beg for adulation or anything else. The quote works with the story - which happens to be original. And "original" is where I'm landing on your essay. Recently I purged all of the authors I was following that weren't advancing the ball of life through originality. Those (like yourself) are the ones I really enjoy reading. Like Deborah Hewitt, Joan Stommen, Kimberly Warner, Charles Jarvis, even Rona Maynard (with whom I often don't agree philosophically) get my attention. They are plowing fresh ground and advancing the craft by challenging our minds while being self-deprecating while doing so. Many of the rest are writing without having anything to say.
So keep up the good work of insightfully viewing life, recording it, and challenging those of us around you who really enjoy your work!
Bob! Thank you for this. I absolutely count you as someone creating original work, and more than that, fostering community around it which I the next most important thing in art.
Dear Bob and Martin, I can't tell you how much I enjoy originality and those who are wholly themselves. Do the thing and do it with all you have been blessed with. Who cares about the rest!! I, too, am over the conversation about the thing or the circle of madness (as I call it) which leads to nowhere. It rots as Martin said. The fly trap. No growth or beauty in that. It's a beautiful "thing" to create, build, restore, etc.," and leave it at just that. I have been so in this headspace forever that I am glad to be the mouse who doesn't want on the wheel. It's a relief not to be a part of this exhaustion.
And Bob, I was so surprised to see my name in your comment here! What an honor. I have been nothing but inspired by you and grateful for the increasing growth you have given my heart for creating. I appreciate you both. Gonna spend some time reading more of your work Martin! Thank you for this and Merry Christmas. oxox
Thank you, Deborah! I appreciate all of this and your perspective on getting off the wheel. I've been feeling that a lot lately. Just do your thing and whatever happens from it happens. That seems like the only way to maintain sanity these days :)
This is great! Thought it was just me…
I’ve always wondered where Urkel went😂
This is great, Marty. Also: Are you working on a behind-the-scenes post about detailing the process of writing this essay?
Lol. It's turtles all the way down from here.
Excellent. I nodded along knowlingly … and I am off to delete the draft post about how may drafts I have on my dashboard. It’s time to turn one of them into a thing, a THING, dammit!
Yes, the thing!!
💛🙌💛