The Void.
Let’s talk about the creative block void shall we?
You know that BIG gaping hole that opens as you start paring back your life?
Yeah that void.
Once you rid yourself of all of the useless shit that you dont need, it leaves a big void in your life.
If you are not ready for this then it might just terrify you back to the old ways of gathering ‘stuff’ to hide in.
Ever wonder why clutter comes back into your life when you’ve cleared it out a million times?
Ever wonder why your calendar fills up with things that you absolutely don’t want to attend?
You’re avoiding the void
But if you know the creative block void is coming then you can understand that it’s a gift and not a big scary prospect.
It’s actually beautiful because this giant gaping hole that has opened up in your life and schedule can be filled with purpose and meaning and all of the amazing gifts that you have to give the world.
You will feel worried at first.
What if you cannot find anything to fill the void?
But once you start taking action towards the things that mean the most, you will only wish for a bigger and bigger void.
And pretty soon you will wonder how you ever had time for all the meaningless tasks that you used to do, and the garbage that you used to buy to distract yourself from the real reason you were put here.
How life can be so short and yet you have so much to give? The minutiae of your old life will fade into the distance.
You no longer have a need to people-please and you won’t try to consume your way out of your unhappiness.
All of the distractions that come your way can no longer slow you down.
Everyday you give your all to this world and to bring your gift kicking and screaming into it.
You will type furiously because you know you have 1000 novels to write.
Creating something everyday is now normal. You know that you owe it to your muse to bring their ideas forward into the world.
You will do what you say you are going to do and you’ll mean it.
Imagine waking up every day knowing that the void is a place of magic.
That if you just stare into it long enough that you will generate the life you have always dreamed of.
If that doesn’t make you want to immediately clear your calendar and stare the blank page right in the face then i dont know what will!
The thing you want the most lies waiting for you in the void.
And here’s the truth about the void… its going to show you everything you’ve been avoiding.
Want to write a novel and you’ve tried over and over again? The void will remind you of that.
Want to create art everyday and become an illustrator? Yep the void will slap you in the face with that dream.
The void is there to wake you up.
You need to wake up to the fact that you only get one life, and you’ve so far filled your life full of things that are nothing to do with your calling.
That stack of amazon boxes tells me you’re avoided the void.
Your calendar filled full of after work events or commitments tells me that you cant face the void.
You are actively listening to that little voice that Steven Pressfield calls the Resistance.
It’s powerful and it will try anything to get you to step away from the void.
Don’t look here!
When ‘here’ is where all of your best works lies, ‘here’ is where you get to open up space to let your ideas flow and grow.
The void sounds scary, but everything you want most in life is on the other side of that fear.
Once you realise this you will become unstoppable.
Don’t get that twisted, facing the void everyday is not easy, but it is simple.
Facing the void is what got me to write 1000 words for the last two days in a row.
I stared straight into the void and realised that everything that’s sitting on the edge is what’s stopping me from jumping in.
The next episode of that TV show… that’s there on the edge of the void trying to lure me away.
The new shiny item on amazon, pulling me away from the void for 5 minutes until i need the next ‘anti-void’ hit.
You see, you can feel it. If you truly listen to yourself, you will feel the pull towards the thing you are supposed to be doing in this life.
You will find yourself hitting the ‘next episode’ button, but that little gut feeling is telling you to get off the couch and go write your novel. Get off the couch and go create your next art piece.
You’re lying if you tell me you don’t hear it.
So next time you are sat alone in silence, take a minute to listen as closely as you can to the voice that’s screaming at you to bring your talents into this world.
There are people out there waiting to read what you write. They will only respond to the information when its in your style and with your voice.
You have to find a way to stare straight through the distractions and connect directly to the void.
That’s the only way to get the unwavering energy you need to bring your creations to life.
You wont want to stop, you won’t ever have to find ‘motivation’ on a daily basis and you will be fulfilled beyond measure.
That’s the power of the void.
Finding the void and being comfortable with all that it opens up is the path to ultimate fulfillment.