~Speaking of Seth~

FEAR

Resistance feeds on fear. We experience Resistance as fear. But fear of what?

Fear of the consequences of following our heart. Fear of bankruptcy, fear of poverty, fear of insolvency. Fear of groveling when we try to make it on our own, and of groveling when we give up and come crawling back to where we started. Fear of being selfish, of being rotten wives or disloyal husbands; fear of failing to support our families, of sacrificing their dreams for ours. Fear of betraying our race, our 'hood,' our homes. Fear of failure. Fear of being ridiculous. Fear of throwing away the education, the training, the preparation that those we love have sacrificed so much for, that we ourselves have worked our butts off for. Fear of launching into the void, of hurtling too far out there; fear of passing some point of no return, beyond which we cannot recant, cannot reverse, cannot rescind, but must live with this chocked-up choice for the rest of our lives. Fear of madness. Fear of insanity. Fear of death.

These are serious fears. But they're not the real fear. Not the Master Fear, the Mother of all Fears that's so close to us that even when we verbalize it we on't believe it.

Fear That We Will Succeed.

That we can access the powers we secretly know we possess.

That we can become the person we sense in our hearts we truly are.

This is the most terrifying prospect a human being can face, because it ejects him at one go (he imagines) from all the tribal inclusions his psyche is wired for and has been for fifty million years.

We fear discovering that we are more than we think we are. More than our parents/children/teachers think we are. We fear that we actually possess the talent that our still, small voice tells us. That we actually have the guts, the perseverance, the capacity. We fear that we truly can steer our ship, plant our flag, reach our Promised Land. We fear this because, if it's true, then we become estranged from all we know. We pass through a membrane. We become monsters and monstrous.

We know that if we embrace our ideals, we must prove worthy of them. At that scares the hell out of us. What will become of us? We will lose our friends and family, who will no longer recognize us. We will wind up alone, in the cold void of starry space with nothing and no one to hold on to.

Of course this is exactly what happens. But here's the trick. We wind up in space, but not alone. Instead we are tapped into an unquenchable, undepletable, inexhaustible source of wisdom, consciousness, companionship. Yeah, we lose friends. But we find friends too, in places we never thought to look. And they're better friends, truer friends. And we're better and truer to them.

Do you believe me?

theWARofArt, Break through the Blocks and Win Your inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield, 2002, Warner Books

Oh, this sounds like such an interesting book. I've still got so many Seth books to go yet and I really do want to push on with them and the exercises. I don't want to put it on a reminder list though. Ok, I think I'll just get a copy and just squeeze it in. I probably ought to reorganize some of the things I do and don't do anyway. Thanks for the heads up Deb.

Quote from: JimKOk, I think I'll just get a copy and just squeeze it in.

It's really a quick read, or it can be. I've had it sitting around for years and just read a bit here and there. Redfield certainly seems to understand what it's all about.

I did order the book. I've read quite a bit about different types fear but all of that was in motivational books directed at salespeople. I noticed in your first post on this topic that this book covers fear/s from a much broader perspective. Several of the items you noted piqued my interest because I've had several of types of fears. I think I've dealt with them, but it's still an area of interest for me. Like the saying goes, I can use all of the help I can get. I'm looking forward to getting it and seeing how it stacks up with Seth. Thanks again, Deb!

You're welcome, I just hope you're not disappointed. But a lot of what he says IS in alignment with the Seth materials, which of course I really appreciate. The book is mainly focused on resistance regarding art, but can really be applied to any type of creativity, even in my mind, creation of reality.

I paint and have a lot of resistance to it, I think partly because I'm afraid of screwing up and disappointing myself, which says a lot about how much it means to me, I guess. Honestly, I have no hesitation in tackling any job, will tear my dishwasher apart in a heartbeat and put it back together again or grab a chainsaw first the first time and cut down trees in my back yard, but my latest painting has been sitting on an easel, taunting me, half-finished for days. Heck, I've walked on hot coals with less hesitation. I'm hoping the book will show me a way to get over my resistance. I find I'm most productive when I finally get angry with myself and say, "the hell with it, I'm just going to jump in and go to town, and if I mess it up, well then who gives a sh*t." Those are some of the times when my best work comes out--letting go. I'd like to not have to get to that point, there must be a better way for me to operate, lol.

Your resistance - I wonder what it is, but that's something you've got to discover and overcome for yourself and I'm confident you can do it.

Quote from: DebI'm most productive when I finally get angry with myself and say, "the hell with it, I'm just going to jump in and go to town, and if I mess it up, well then who gives a sh*t." Those are some of the times when my best work comes out--letting go. I'd like to not have to get to that point, there must be a better way for me to operate, lol

So what if you mess it up? Why would you expect perfection the first time through with a painting? I've noticed most of the famous artists from the past did lots of goes at it and sometimes corrections before they were satisfied with a painting. In a way kind of like a learning and exploration process. Just some of my thoughts for whatever they're worth.

You're right Jim. I was just talking about this with a friend the other day, how artists will do sketches, trial runs and completely re-do paintings. Must be something to do with my belief system, huh? Or something I learned in art classes as a kid. Or my credo "if you going to take the time to do something, then do it right the first time." I need to lighten up, lol. Enjoy the journey.

There was a house-bound character in the movie Amélie (one of my absolute favorite movies) who had a closet full of his rejected attempts to perfect a Renoir painting (The Luncheon of the Boating Party). I could learn something from him, I think.

Every artist can you tell what is flawed in their work. Especially the professional ones.

You've just got to get into the process more and not so much the result.

Quote from: DebI paint and have a lot of resistance to it

I've been reading Jane Roberts' "The World View Of Paul Cezanne" and recommend you pick it up.  He talks a lot about how (like in automatic writing) the body can allow the creativity to come through the brush strokes.   There is a lot of inspiring stuff in there about how the people or objects being painted have a reality of their own even in the painting.   

For me, in a lot of the creative work that I do I have to set myself aside in order to allow the material to flow for me.   If I try, or think, or beat myself up it simply does not work.   It requires a certain amount of patience (with myself), a strong emotional desire to allow the work, and a willingness to just be still until I realize it is time to start doing.   From there it seems to flow--a bit clunky at first, but the doingness seems to take off from there.  So any kind of resistance is really counter-productive IMO...

Chuck

I like you and your friend's discussion of how artists work and the direction it took. And I also liked the comments from the other members. Another book I want to get and read - The Worldview of Paul Cezanne and I'm already overloaded with books I want and need to read.

You've probably heard something else that's interesting - that x-rays of some of the works of the old masters have shown a lot of over-painting under the final works. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

I was thinking about your comment that your unfinished painting was taunting you from it's position on your easel. What do you think about turning your easel around so you can't see the painting for a few days or as long as you want? Kind of like putting a drawing in a drawer for a few days and then coming back and getting a fresh look at it.

Another thing I was thinking about was, if resistance = block = limiting belief, you might, if you have it, check out Lynda Madden Dahl's book Beyond the Winning Streak and specifically a belief-removal visualization on p.97 of my copy that takes you to your Plain of Purpose. Modify it to fit you. I thought it was easy and effective.

I do know what you mean about anger fueling the creative juices. I've used that a few times myself but I like following inspiration and jamming "what if's" much more. I also like playing with unexpected humor too.

You will find your solution, Deb. Count on it!

Quote from: JimK
I like you and your friend's discussion of how artists work and the direction it took. And I also liked the comments from the other members. Another book I want to get and read - The Worldview of Paul Cezanne and I'm already overloaded with books I want and need to read.

You've probably heard something else that's interesting - that x-rays of some of the works of the old masters have shown a lot of over-painting under the final works. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

I was thinking about your comment that your unfinished painting was taunting you from it's position on your easel. What do you think about turning your easel around so you can't see the painting for a few days or as long as you want? Kind of like putting a drawing in a drawer for a few days and then coming back and getting a fresh look at it.

Another thing I was thinking about was, if resistance = block = limiting belief, you might, if you have it, check out Lynda Madden Dahl's book Beyond the Winning Streak and specifically a belief-removal visualization on p.97 of my copy that takes you to your Plain of Purpose. Modify it to fit you. I thought it was easy and effective.

I do know what you mean about anger fueling the creative juices. I've used that a few times myself but I like following inspiration and jamming "what if's" much more. I also like playing with unexpected humor too.

You will find your solution, Deb. Count on it!

Repainting over old works was common back in Ye Olde Times as the materials needed were expensive, and not always available.

It is rather fascinating also to see / contemplate what works the old masters painted over out of necessity, or just unwanted drafts.
These days we have the luxury of plenty of physical and digital materials for creating all kinds of art, and can keep out drafts along with out final versions, and that sort of stuff even gets made into training materials.

You're right, Bat, I think over-painting was pretty common back in the long-ago, but before modern tech like xray was turned onto the art world we didn't know what they did way back then. That even happened during my lifetime. lol

You are right about drafts too. Way back when I was learning and doing cartooning for pay I used tons of tracing paper for drafts, changes, adjustments, etc. And now there's digital. But there's still oil, acrylics, watercolor, wash, and lots of the non-digital media in use. And I think drafts of one sort or another are still needed, maybe not in some areas of abstract or experimental art or in learning & practicing skills, but still needed.

Quote from: Batfan007You've just got to get into the process more and not so much the result.

Yep, you're right, I'm very task oriented and a lot of times more interested in the result than the process. But once I get into the zone, it's a whole different story. Unless I'm painting for someone else.

Quote from: caaronI've been reading Jane Roberts' "The World View Of Paul Cezanne" and recommend you pick it up.

Another great idea. For some reason that book didn't interest me as much as The Afterdeath Journal, but Cezanne is right up in that period of art that I love and maybe he has some messages for me. Certainly insights. I just bought it for a penny on Amazon (used), must have been waiting there for me. I was so thrilled I spent the extra two bucks for expedited shipping. One of these days I'm going to buy a used Seth book and it will be signed by the author. It's happened a few times.

Quote from: caaronThere is a lot of inspiring stuff in there about how the people or objects being painted have a reality of their own even in the painting.   

Wow, that's almost a little creepy. I'm thinking Harry Potter... but makes me think of my painting in a new light. There are some people in canoes, suspended in time, in an ideal setting. Forever summer... maybe I should paint myself in as well. The scene has a very happy memory for me.

Quote from: caaronSo any kind of resistance is really counter-productive IMO...

Well... yes, it is. In anything we do. It keeps us from doing something we want, good or bad.

Quote from: JimKI'm already overloaded with books I want and need to read.

Me too. I figure some day I'll have too much time on my hands and will catch up.

Quote from: JimKI was thinking about your comment that your unfinished painting was taunting you from it's position on your easel. What do you think about turning your easel around so you can't see the painting for a few days or as long as you want? Kind of like putting a drawing in a drawer for a few days and then coming back and getting a fresh look at it.

Another great idea, I've done it before. It works too well sometimes, I've been known to put a painting aside for a year or more. Some I've never gotten back to. But good news, I found some time today to get back into my current painting thanks to the comments here. Earbuds, Enya, and I made some progress. I'm using soft pastels, for me it's more like whittling than painting.

Say... I used to have a topic on the forum, "Share Your Creations" or something like that. Hardly anyone participated so I put it in hiding. Any interest in me reviving it? It sounds like we have a pretty creative group here now. Could be poetry, photos, art, whatever.

Quote from: Deb

Quote from: JimKI'm already overloaded with books I want and need to read.

Me too. I figure some day I'll have too much time on my hands and will catch up.

Nuts to that, I plan on dying with a good 30+ must read books sitting around unread. 

I just wanted to say thanks for the input and encouragement and suggestions. I ended up reading most of "On Becoming an Artist" by Ellen Langer (holy cow, what an amazing person who thinks outside the box and knows how to get others to question their own beliefs + the Official Line of Consciousness! More on her later...).

What she had to say really impacted my own thought processes and I finished my painting. At least for now. I don't want to overwork it, I've done that before. I'll put it in a closet and pull it out in a few months for finessing. I DID buy Jane's Cezanne book and will dive into that when I finish Ellen's book, which I'm hoping is tomorrow.

This is what I have so far. Tomorrow I start a new painting...

Quote from: Batfan007Nuts to that, I plan on dying with a good 30+ must read books sitting around unread. 

Have you ever seen that OLD Twilight Zone with the guy who just wanted to be able to have quiet time alone to read ('I vant to be alone') and ends up in a post apocalyptic situation, with more than enough time to read to his heart's desire? Then he steps on and crushes his reading glasses. Even back then, I could relate.

Looking good, Deb. Hope you'll post it again after you go back to it and do whatever you think it might need. And I'll also look forward to hearing about what you get from Ellen Langer.

Yes, I remember that Twight Zone episode like it was not that long ago. lol  Called, Time Enough at Last. Wikipedia did a great job on it. What a jewel!

Quote from: JimKTime Enough at Last. Wikipedia did a great job on it. What a jewel!

Ah, thanks for that Jim. I had to look it up and Wiki did do a great job. A young Burgess Meredith! I remember him from the Rocky movies.  First aired 1959! I must have caught it on the reruns. I think it triggered a 'memory' of a future bookish me, it's the only episode that I really remember. Oh, the irony!

"The episode follows Bemis through the post apocalyptic world, touching on such social issues as anti-intellectualism, the dangers of reliance upon technology (if only they could have seen the future!), and the difference between aloneness (solitude) and loneliness."

The show opener:
"Witness Mr. Henry Bemis, a charter member in the fraternity of dreamers. A bookish little man whose passion is the printed page, but who is conspired against by a bank president and a wife and a world full of tongue-cluckers and the unrelenting hands of a clock. But in just a moment, Mr. Bemis will enter a world without bank presidents or wives or clocks or anything else. He'll have a world all to himself... without anyone."

The old Twilight Zone had the best writers!

I'll try to get my Ellen Langer thoughts together today. I'm skipping turkey day this year, just not into it, so will have the time. Will try to squeeze in seeing Dr. Strange as well. I'm looking forward to it, not many movies appeal to me these days.