The Art is in the Work

Perhaps the greatest temptation in life is to revisit themes or ideas or subjects that brought us some small piece of success, or comfort. In other words, we want to walk along paths already cleared. We approach the great forest and wander about its edges, searching for inroads already made, by us or by others.

Business people doing what everyone else does.

Writers insistent on exploring the same characters, the same topics.

But this kind of path-stealing only delivers us to the same dead ends, the same conclusions. Walking these paths too often, on paths too often walked, we become comfortable. We put away the tools necessary for forging new trails, and when we reach the same dead end we reached before, we turn back, wondering why the same things always go wrong.

* * * * *

Today, take a different approach. Don’t look for an existing path – search for a place that looks like it marks a good course.

The art is in the work, not the smoothness of the terrain.

9 Replies to “The Art is in the Work”

  1. Thanks for this, Shawn. Adds another angle to the thoughts I’ve been having about how I’ve chosen Jonah’s path rather than God’s. . . God’s path is not always (ever?) the easiest, but it’s always the best. . .

  2. If this is the kind of material we can expect on Sunday posts I suggest more of them. The greatest part of this is that the guy writing it has proven to be quite a trailblazer himself. Thanks for setting the example Shawn!

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