Taming the Dragon, Taking a Risk
Every time I lift pen to paper I am taking a risk. My words
could fall short of the story I'm striving to tell or the message I'm yearning to communicate. I could fail.
Sharing writing, too, is a risk. Last night in Wildfire
Writing II, Jenny read a piece that was astoundingly imaginative and brilliant.
What happened? The class tittered, giggled, burst into laughter. The piece wasn’t
funny. The class, however, was needing to relax after a hard week. If Jenny hadn’t been
a veteran Wildfire Writer, she would have been hurt by the reaction.
Reactions to our writing have less to do with the work itself and more to do
with the reader. These reactions are out of our control. They can’t touch who
we are as human beings--unless we allow them to do so.
The outcome of our creative efforts is wildly unpredictable.
The frightening dragon of Don’t-Risk-It circles our safe, walled village. We don’t know what will happen if we venture outside this known
territory. Better to stay where we are than confront that
dragon.
One way that I’ve begun dealing with the dragon is by saying yes
when a creative opportunity comes up.Tonight I’m telling a story for “Off the Page” at Three
Creeks Library. Storytelling is new to me—no script! The dragon told me I
should stay with something I know, something safe. Instead, I choose to live creatively,
and yes, to accept and deal with the fear.
Tomorrow I’m giving a presentation for the Southwest
Washington Watercolor Society. I’ve never even been to one of their meetings,
and here I’ll be giving a talk—in front of real
artists. Just that thought is daunting. More grumbling from the dragon. Still, I say yes.
Next week I’m performing a poem for a gala dinner event—semi-formal,
they told me yesterday. “What did I get myself into?” I wondered. When first
asked to be the guest poet, I noticed the dragon from the corner of my eye,
glaring at me. I stared back at him, and said loudly, “Yes.”
In my personal life, I’ve had Big Risky Things show up, too.
The dragon isn't happy when I choose personal growth over safety,
security, and sameness. The dragon is no longer in charge.
What about you? Are you taking creative risks today? Are you
feeling what it is to be alive? Or are you penned in by the walls of
familiarity? Are you sacrificing your beautiful dream so you can hold onto a
sure bet?
We risk anytime we tell the truth; anytime we take an adventure,
write a poem, craft a story, pick up a paintbrush. We risk whenever we reach
out to love someone. Without risking, we’re not living, just
experiencing “pre-death.”
The creative process is risk. It connects us to the
electric joy of life.
And really, dragons are a little bit cuddly when they're not bossing you around anymore.
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