Tuesday, April 8, 2014

4/8 - The Roar


Bonus points if you catch the motorcycle movie reference (super bonus points if you caught the previous TV reference). And now, for a more personal expansion on the topic:

Some people call it a muse. How cute. Others refer to an inner demon, or more neutrally, 'my writing partner'. I have the Roar.

The Roar isn't strictly a creative drive, but it is oddly choosy, and comes and goes as it pleases. When I picked art school and saw it through, I was driven by the Roar. That month I spent in Shaolin training 6 hours a day, and subsequent years of sweat and study later: same Roar. Among other things, thousand mile solo scooter trips were embarked upon to the backdrop of the Roar.

I listened to a great Ted talk by Elizabeth Gilbert, called Your Elusive Genius. It's her approach I keep in mind when I pick up a pencil and continue my career path, regardless of whether the Roar is or is not present. I struggled in the past, and still struggle day to day, but I make a point to show up. I'm not going to lie though, when it's loud, attempts at sublimation just seem to manifest in more destructive ways.

This man walked nearly 3000 miles through China, and the quote that strikes me: A lot of people look at the video thinking, "I want to be free like that guy!" — but they don't realize that I was driven by something, and maybe I was losing control over it."

While I'm being dramatic here, there is only one way for me to quiet the Roar, and that is to follow it. I know some of you don't want me to go. Undying thanks and gratitude, dear friends and family, for putting up with me while I toil away on another hair-brained lark. It means the world to me, I'll try to express it more often between the talk of gear and routes and departure that monopolizes conversation with me lately.

Whew, now that's off my chest. I'm so eager to get some actual travel and action posts in!

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