The Point

If you’re like me, you’ve had those times when you ask yourself the kinds of questions whose answers are depressingly implied. Questions like, “What’s the point?” or, “Why am I bothering?” or, “How do I know this is going anywhere?” After all, as writers and artists, ours is a journey for which uncertainty is an inevitable and enduring companion. It’s easy to become overwhelmed by all we don’t know but believe we should or wish we did, and succumb to the misperception that we are either hopelessly lost, or have been wasting our time with delusions far detached from reality.

In general, if you can avoid asking these soul-sucking questions, do so. However, if one should creep into your mind, you could, if you’re feeling a little ambitious, try answering it. For real. That is, if I were to ask myself “What’s the point of this whole writing game?” I might reply this way:

I like it. I know that. I like it when I forget about the world around me and become lost in that flow state of interesting ideas. I always love being in flow. There isn’t a time in my life when I haven’t preferred it over any other state of mind. Good things always seem to come of it. I never know exactly where it will take me, but I’m always happy when I’m in it. That’s the point.

That’s my answer. What’s yours? Here’s a clue: It can’t be anything other than the experience of writing itself. It can’t be publication or money or acclaim or any definition of success that lies out in the future. That is never the point. That’s the weird game we play with ourselves, justifying our own pleasure by how we appear to others or by some tangible number in our bank account or contract with our signature. The point has to be dependable, consistently satisfying even as your journey remains continuously uncertain.

If you like the ideas and perspectives expressed here, feel free to contact me about individual coaching and group workshops.

Everyone Has What It Takes: A Writer’s Guide to the End of Self-Doubt
You can find William at: williamkenower.com