Blog 1628 – 03.05.2020

Somethings Counterintuitive

In the 2017 Independent movie offering “Grace” which I watched last night a famous successful author gave a would be writer this advice while criticizing her penchant for expressing her emotional opinions, “Do you want to clever or great?” A writer myself always striving to be better, re-reading, correcting, and rewriting, I rewrote even his above words for myself – “Do you want to be clever or better, great?” It reminding me of a favorite mantra, “I’d rather be happy than right.”

Some of the greater truths seem at first counterintuitive. They go against the flow of popular opinion as greatness often does. The seasoned writer also advised the novice, “Write for yourself first, only then for others.”So often if we write first to try to please others we fail not only them but ourselves as well. Bill Shakespeare wrote, “To thine own self be true and thou canst be false to no man.” A bit datedly phrased advice, to be sure but still true. Honestly speaking plainly in you own voice will help keep you true to you and likewise false to no other.

Just one more bit of of some seemingly counterintuitive advice “The way out is in and the way up is down, way down deep inside that heart of yours where all your talents and truths lay hidden to find. And remember to ask yourself whatever the artistic expression is that you use to reveal your gifts, “Do you want to be clever or better, great?”

Your friend, fellow traveler, and

Fellow striver for better & greatness,

David White