Fighting for Invisible Things

I'm in the invisible industry, which means that much of what I'm going after can't be seen. Things like faith and creativity and passions and ideas feel abstract because they're not tangible. They can't be quantified on a resume, they don't always pay the bills. But just because something is invisible doesn't mean it's not important. I think most people would agree on that, but describing the invisible remains a challenge. 

A book I've read recently that nails the invisible world of the creative process is The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. He skips the flowery stuff and gets right to his point, which is that if you are going to do anything creative, anything good or worthwhile or generally helpful to the world, you will be opposed. 

Pressfield names the opponent Resistance and he describes it like this: In the fight for life, Resistance "repels us from it. It shoves us away, distracts us, prevents us from doing our work". Resistance makes things that should be simple confusing. It makes us feel stupid for pursuing an unseen or beautiful or important thing in the first place. He calls Resistance the "root of unhappiness" and says "to yield to it deforms our spirit, stunts us and makes us less than we are and were born to be. It is evil and prevents us from achieving the life God intended when he endowed us with our own unique genius. Genius is our inner spirit - everyone who creates operates from this sacramental center. It's our soul's seat, our true north."

His description can sound intense, but I like that he goes for it and doesn't try to justify himself. If you've faced Resistance you'll know how sticky and thick it can be, how it slows you in your tracks and makes you forget what you're even doing. You'll know how justifying yourself can be an unending cycle that leads nowhere. 

Coming from a charismatic Christian background I'm no stranger to talking about the spiritual realm and believing that there is an opponent to life. I've been armed for spiritual warfare since I was about five! But I loved reading this book and applying the concept of Resistance to the creative process. Creation is powerful, so of course it will be opposed. How could I overlook this?!

Anyway, if you're in the thick of a creative battle I suggest you dip into this book - it's a triple shot of espresso to your motivation meter and will remind you that what you're working towards is worth fighting for. 

Anyone else facing invisible opponents to creative pursuits? Here's to pushing through.

{photo from flickr: it'skay [kala] }