The Working Artist Will Not Tolerate Trouble

I Wrote In The War Of Art That I Could Divide My Life Neatly Into Two Parts: Before Turning Pro And After. After Is Better.

Our Job In This Lifetime Is Not To Shape Ourselves Into Some Ideal We Imagine We Ought To Be, But To Find Out Who We Already Are And Become It.

We’re All Pros Already. 1) We Show Up Every Day 2) We Show Up No Matter What 3) We Stay On The Job All Day 4) We Are Committed Over The Long Haul 5) The Stakes For Us Are High And Real 6) We Accept Remuneration For Our Labor 7) We Do Not Overidentify With Our Jobs 8 ) We Master The Technique Of Our Jobs 9) We Have A Sense Of Humor About Our Jobs 10) We Receive Praise Or Blame In The Real World

The Spartans Say That Any Army May Win While It Still Has Legs Under It; The Real Test Comes When All Strength Is Fled And The Men Must Produce Victory On Will Alone.

The Working Artist Will Not Tolerate Trouble In Her Life Because She Knows Trouble Prevents Her From Doing Her Work. The Working Artist Banishes From Her World All Sources Of Trouble. She Harnesses The Urge For Trouble And Transforms It In Her Work.