Wondering If Your Writing Is A Waste Of Time? Please Change This Limiting Belief, Writer.
Poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.
Upcoming episode on Becoming A Writer podcast this Saturday — we are going to talk about why we have a hard time moving on to our next writing project and why it is important to do so.
Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.
– John Keating, played by Robin Williams, in Dead Poets Society (1989)
I revisit a TED talk quite often, especially when I feel that spending time, effort, and heart on my writing is a waste of time. It’s called Give Yourself Permission To Be Creative, and it was presented by actor Ethan Hawke.
While the complete speech is a gem mine, there is this one line he says that resonates with me every time.
"Art is not a luxury. It's sustenance. We need it."
This is true. That is exactly how Art works. It is not a luxury; it’s sustenance – something that, as Robin Williams said in Dead Poets Society, keeps us alive.
How do I know that? Well, here's how Art is making sure I stay alive -
It was reading novels during the second year of college that helped me survive and crawl my way out of my depression.
Watching Friends (for the first time) in 2020 helped me survive the mental and emotional assault of the pandemic.
Whenever I feel the world too heavy on my shoulders, movies like The Mummy, Iron Man, Murder On The Orient Express, Main Hoon Na, and shows like Stargate SG1, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Loki, and Reacher help me escape the harsh reality. Or at least help me take a break from it. They make me happy as a watcher and encourage me as a writer. They bring some excitement, something to look forward to, back into my life.
Movies and shows also gave me characters to relate to, become friends with, and also fall in love with.
Agatha Christie first helped give birth to the reader in me, then the writer in me seven years later. If it wasn't for her, I would be living a zombie-like life right now.
Whenever I have hit the dreaded reading slump, I run to Agatha Christie and her trusty Belgian detective to pull me out. And they have never disappointed me.
Songs and music help me make sense of my pain and my joy.
Stand-up comedy made me laugh the hardest when I was the most broken inside.
Art, no matter which kind, enriches our lives. It takes the tiredness of human life and turns it into relief. It takes the dullness and sameness of life and puts colour and awe into our lives. When life is beating you down, art helps ease the pain.
There are books, movies, shows, songs, paintings, videos, poems, dance performances, and plays that have moved you, saved you, and made your life better. Imagine how crappy and incomplete your life would have been without them.
Now imagine how your book, play, novel, poem, screenplay, song, and stand-up jokes could move someone, save someone, and make someone’s day and life better. So why would you think that your writing is a waste of time? Entertaining this limiting belief in itself is a waste of time.
How Does Art Help Us Live More Enriching Lives?
Art increases our emotional capacity and connects us with others at a deeper level. This is because art speaks to our hearts and our souls. You feel the warmth of a beautiful song or dialogue or scenery in your chest, not your head. So when Tony Stark said he was Iron Man in the first Iron Man movie, I cheered him on. And when he said he was Iron Man in Avengers Endgame and took the fatal snap, I balled my eyes out in agreement.
Art brings people together. I will never forget the day when I went to the cinema to watch Avengers Endgame. Sitting next to me were two young women. We were strangers to each other, but when Mjolnir the hammer decided to fly across to Captain America, we three were on our feet, screaming and cheering and looking at each other to make sure we actually saw Cap swing that hammer and it wasn't something we imagined. When the movie was over, and I was about to exit the theatre, I looked back where I sat, only to find the seats next to me had already been vacated. I will never meet those ladies again, but for the brief three hours, Avengers Endgame brought us together for one cause. Art has that power.
Art acts as a balm for isolation and loneliness. Initially, I loved the pandemic lockdown. No cars honking, no construction noise. During the mornings, I was made very aware that there were birds chirping outside. Also, I don't mind staying indoors. But as the days, weeks, and months passed by, the global house arrest was gnawing at me from the inside out. I could feel myself going deep into a dark, hopeless pit. Thankfully, it was an experience I have had before and I immediately knew what I had to do to save myself from falling into the darkness. I needed laughter. I went to Netflix, and the first thing related to comedy that popped up was Friends. God bless all those who were involved in the making and sharing of that show. Watching an episode of Friends every evening with my coffee made me feel like I was surrounded by my loved ones and having a great time. Art has this quality - of making you feel that you are not alone, that you're understood, and that there's still hope.
Indulging in someone's art or creating your own acts as a stress buster. The summer heat we are currently facing is making sure I stay exhausted 24/7. So when last night I felt my crankiness reaching its zenith, I reached for Ruskin Bond's new memoir, Hold On To Your Dreams. One hour later, I had a finished read and a buoyant attitude. The same goes for my writing. By the time I am done with a writing session for my novel, I am the chirpiest bird in the house.
Art is therapeutic. I have recently come across a YouTube slow-living vlog channel called Introvert & Dog. Now my every Saturday mornings go into watching the scenic, beautiful Oslo city as Introvert takes us and his dog, Mochi, around for the week. For those 10-15 minutes, I am lost in the slow-paced living and enjoying the little moments of the day. My shoulders lower their guard, and I sit back as I enjoy the video and sense my inner batteries recharge.
Enjoying someone's art inspires us and increases our creativity. Another form of art I love indulging in is Valerie Lin's art vlogs. Watching her bring her ideas into reality with colours and sharing her ups and downs as she lives her life as a human and a painter reaffirms my dedication to my art of writing. Her vlogs make me a better creative person.
Art saves you. 2014 could have possibly been the last year I would have been on this planet. I was in the lowest of my lows and knew no way of coming out of it. Nor did I have anyone to help me out. One of the things that helped me make it through the pain and the day was watching Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Fallon and Graham Norton goofing around with celebrities. They made me laugh, and to laugh, you need air, so indirectly, they made me breathe. Just long enough for me to make it out of the dark pit and be able to breathe on my own again.
Now I ask you. Think about pieces of art that make your day better. That make you feel understood. That make you feel. That make you stay alive. Wouldn't you agree that your life is so much better because of that favourite movie, or novel or song? Now, if someone's work of art is helping you enjoy your life, why is it hard to imagine that your work of art - your writing - won't be able to do the same for others?
Working on your writing projects is not a waste of time. It will save someone's life one day, yours included.
My book for writers, Soul Writer vs. Social Writer, is out now!