It took me years to understand discipline—until I let go and realised that what truly matters is having a goal beyond yourself, one that reaches toward a higher state. Discipline becomes meaningful when your actions serve as an invitation to be met not as you imagine, but as the universe intended.
Yes, I'm starting to come around to this exact view! Or at least to accept that the idea/project is its own thing, and that the best work happens when you're trying to understand what it wants/needs.
I’ve been thinking a lot about whether projects have forms (a bit like statues) and whether our job as creators is to listen carefully to them, gradually chipping away to remove the parts that are not the project. The more I do creative work, the more I believe this to be true. This facet on discipline is an excellent angle on this. I will submit more! (to my daily walking podcast, Walk the Pod.) Thanks Mason.
Mason, I only recently subscribed to your newsletter and I’m so glad I did. I love how you go a bit deeper with common ideas; how you look at them through a new lens. Thanks for writing
I think about what Steinbeck wrote in East of Eden. Every story you ever write is not about you or how well you execute the story. It's about how you allow others to interpret your story. Only in their interpretation does your story live, Steinbeck argued.
It's understanding that your own creative gift was never about you but what the gift itself could offer everyone else. I think Cage is getting at the same idea here, but from a different angle.
This is such an excellent reframe. I think the whole idea of giving ourselves over to the practice also helps to get back to the old way of thinking about muses. A person isn't individually a "creative genius" but they allow something else to flow through them. I know for some people that's too woo woo so I like this framing of Cage's! And I can't wait for the Worm School Extension!
Thanks, Anna! All this stuff is honestly a little "woo woo" for me, and yet . . . I really do think there's something to it, or something good that happens when we treat our work this way.
Yes, doesn't so much creative-process advice ultimately boil down to "get out of your own way"? And yet we need all the advice (or I do) because it's not actually that easy to do!
This resonates sooo deeply. I'm currently nearing the end of the book, The Surrender Experiment, by Michael Singer and this is pretty much the entire premise of the book. What would happen if you stop listening to the small mind's preferences (your likes and dislikes) and instead just followed and showed up wholeheartedly for what life wants. His life has been WILD. He ended up teaching at a community college, starting a meditation center and intentional community, building a construction business, and heading a multi-million dollar tech company. And he didn't set out to do any of it. His whole approach is this notion you're talking about. Let go and serve the larger thing that wants to happen through you.
It took me years to understand discipline—until I let go and realised that what truly matters is having a goal beyond yourself, one that reaches toward a higher state. Discipline becomes meaningful when your actions serve as an invitation to be met not as you imagine, but as the universe intended.
Yes, I'm starting to come around to this exact view! Or at least to accept that the idea/project is its own thing, and that the best work happens when you're trying to understand what it wants/needs.
I’ve been thinking a lot about whether projects have forms (a bit like statues) and whether our job as creators is to listen carefully to them, gradually chipping away to remove the parts that are not the project. The more I do creative work, the more I believe this to be true. This facet on discipline is an excellent angle on this. I will submit more! (to my daily walking podcast, Walk the Pod.) Thanks Mason.
Thanks, Rachel, great to hear from you! And the statue analogy is a good one!
Mason, I only recently subscribed to your newsletter and I’m so glad I did. I love how you go a bit deeper with common ideas; how you look at them through a new lens. Thanks for writing
Thank you for the kind words, Etashe, that means a lot!
I think about what Steinbeck wrote in East of Eden. Every story you ever write is not about you or how well you execute the story. It's about how you allow others to interpret your story. Only in their interpretation does your story live, Steinbeck argued.
It's understanding that your own creative gift was never about you but what the gift itself could offer everyone else. I think Cage is getting at the same idea here, but from a different angle.
That's interesting, Paul, I hadn't quite thought of it from that angle — will be mulling this over, thank you.
This is such an excellent reframe. I think the whole idea of giving ourselves over to the practice also helps to get back to the old way of thinking about muses. A person isn't individually a "creative genius" but they allow something else to flow through them. I know for some people that's too woo woo so I like this framing of Cage's! And I can't wait for the Worm School Extension!
Thanks, Anna! All this stuff is honestly a little "woo woo" for me, and yet . . . I really do think there's something to it, or something good that happens when we treat our work this way.
Another less woo woo way to think about it would also be: "get out of your own way." I'm certainly in the way far too much!
Yes, doesn't so much creative-process advice ultimately boil down to "get out of your own way"? And yet we need all the advice (or I do) because it's not actually that easy to do!
Oh wow did I need to hear that advice right now. Been in a rut, searching for enthusiasm and drive again. Thank you Mason/John Cage!
Thanks, José — great to hear from you, and hope your rut is short-lived!
This resonates sooo deeply. I'm currently nearing the end of the book, The Surrender Experiment, by Michael Singer and this is pretty much the entire premise of the book. What would happen if you stop listening to the small mind's preferences (your likes and dislikes) and instead just followed and showed up wholeheartedly for what life wants. His life has been WILD. He ended up teaching at a community college, starting a meditation center and intentional community, building a construction business, and heading a multi-million dollar tech company. And he didn't set out to do any of it. His whole approach is this notion you're talking about. Let go and serve the larger thing that wants to happen through you.
Oh, wow, I didn't know about this book — will check it out, thank you!
I need the formula on how to give myself over, please, LOL. Lol and STAT!
Should be in your inbox now, B.A.! (And thank you, as always, for the enthusiasm!)
Thank *you*, Mason. I just read it and commented 👀