30 days ago I had an epiphany.
I'll try to sum up the epiphany up in words (though I'm discovering the larger feelings in life are limited to experience) ...
30 days ago I decided to move to a Higher Elevation. To escape the San Fernando Valley (for reasons unlimited).
Now, I have 2 days to move my shit out of the valley and into Beachwood Canyon:
Beachwood Cyn circa 1920'sAnyway, April is the perfect month to move as tax refunds are ripe for security deposit. All I gotta do now is figure out how to cover the 40% rent increase ...
Easy. Just work more.
12 hour days will occasionally become 18 hour days (split between two gigs sometimes). And the other night I went down to take a nap between editing stints and felt my heart palpitate like I couldn't remember it palpitating before. But it didn't bother me. In fact, learning how to manage stress at that level empowers one further.
It's a steep slope, but such is life. No risk: no reward. I visualize myself in a month or two, or three - when I'm finally situated in the new place, with enough surplus cash to actually sit down and WRITE.
I thought I could do this in The Valley. I took three months off earlier this year to write ... And all I have to show for it are 4 character sketches (albeit solid ones) and less than ten pages of script.
Life was getting boring. No inspiration: no pages. Not to say that inspiration doesn't come from living in shitty places - it does. But another thing I'm learning is that I need to CONTINUE to EXCEL to NEW HEIGHTS in life. Otherwise, I just get disinterested with myself and the feelings I'm trying to portray on-page.
And I think there's something to be said for LIVING AT YOUR ABSOLUTE PEAK. And I want to say that that's when your BEST writing material comes to you. At your peaks.
Actually, I take that back. I think your best material comes when you're at your extremes - either absolute peak OR rock bottom. But who wants to hit rock bottom just to tell a fuckin story? I did once. And I wouldn't dare attempt to write that story until I've successfully mastered the craft through at least a half-dozen other projects.
"Writing is the most disciplined of all the arts" - Louise Brooks
It's true.


