nothing here but us chickens...

[lagilman]

Busy and busy with a coating of busy on top of that, but popping in to get something out of my brain and into some sort of semi-coherence. Hopefully it will be of interest/use to someone other than myself, as well.

Speaking in moschus's LJ of Robin Williams' style of comedy, I said:

"It's not that he has no fear: rather than he embraces his fear and makes it his bitch."

Yes. Exactly. Creativity in Action. Not just writing, but life-creativity. The thing that takes us beyond rote and inertia and makes us interesting.

That's not to say that everything you do needs to be out of your comfort zone. Comfort zones are good, and healthy, and, well, comforting. And anyone who says there's something wrong with needing comfort has their own Issues and should deal with them before preaching to anyone else, 'k? We all love a comfort cuddle, or a comfort food, or a comfort blanky, because Life is Hard and Often Sucks, and comfort gives us shelter while we get back on our feet.

But here's the thing. Fear isn't the mind-killer. It's the ass-kicker. And that's both bad (if you go off into the corner and cringe) and good. Good, because whatever is animating that fear? Has your number. And anything that has your number like that is a force to be reckoned with -- and co-opted as soon as possible.

If you're not scared, you're not taking any risks. And if you're not taking any risks, what are you accomplishing?


ETA the ritual disclaimer: The thoughts expressed herein are the opinions and meanderings of the author, and mean exactly what they say; anything else is what you're reading into them. They are not meant to replace qualified medical or legal advice, nor should they be taken before operating heavy machinery. All lefts reserved, the government's already taken my rights.

Comments

[deire.livejournal.com]

Well said.

In Death Ground, fight

[zornhau.livejournal.com]

Some of the greatest victories have been won in the most dangerous of strategic positions.

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

I think that embracing your fear is a motivator. Doing so is good. But I also feel that the desire to engage in that embrace is cyclical. Didn't do it much as a teen, wavered in and out in my twenties, embraced fear well and truly in my thirties, and now that I'm in my forties, well, I don't do it so much. Maybe I'll start again in my fifties?