I like Caroline Myss‘ anecdote about her epiphany regarding creative writing. She included it on page 43 of her book, Sacred Contracts, to make the point that some people may come into our lives only briefly yet still have a significant impact.
I can still recall a brief exchange with a high school English teacher who cornered me after class one day to offer me some advice on both my writing style and my attitude. At the time I was carrying on a love affair with the Theater of the Absurd—playwrights including Eugene Ionesco, Samuel Beckett, and Harold Pinter—and my literary contributions to this class reflected my infatuation. Because of my lack of training, as well as a few other missing links in my appreciation of classical English, my work was one step above disaster. My teacher kindly offered me a piece of advice—one sentence long—that reshaped my appreciation for education across the board for the rest of my life. “You know, Carol,” she said, “in order to write anything well, even the presentation of absurdity, you have to learn the laws of English like a master, so that you can break them like an artist.” I had thought that being creative meant absolute freedom to do anything you want; but in that moment she taught me that real creativity is based on a solid foundation of knowledge and discipline. I must have agreed to meet this wise teacher, because she changed my whole understanding of artistic and literary creation.
ABOUT PHIL BOLSTA
Phil is the author of Through God’s Eyes: Finding Peace and Purpose in a Troubled World, a comprehensive guide to living a spiritual life. Who will benefit from reading it?
Anyone who is on a spiritual path, or wants to start one
Anyone who loves life, or wants to learn how to
Anyone who is happy, or wants to be happier
To order your copy of Through God’s Eyes, go to GodsEyesOrder.com OR order from Amazon at GodsEyesAmazon.com OR for an inscribed copy, click here to e-mail Phil for information.
Click here for more information about Through God’s Eyes.
Click here to ask Phil to add you to his e-mail list for updates on his blog and books.
Here is a two-minute video introduction to Through God’s Eyes.
Want to learn more about Through God’s Eyes? Here is a free 40-page PDF sampler from the book that includes:
• an overview of the book
• the complete table of contents
• the Foreword by Caroline Myss
• my Introduction
• chapter excerpts
• a sample end-of-chapter story
• endorsements from authors and thought leaders
Just click on the link below to download your free PDF sampler!
THROUGH GOD’S EYES PDF SAMPLER
Schedule a Mastery Mentoring phone session with Phil to learn how to apply principles of spiritual living more effortlessly and effectively. Priced affordably! Click here to e-mail Phil for details.
Phil is also the author of Sixty Seconds: One Moment Changes Everything, a collection of 45 inspiring, life-changing stories from prominent people he interviewed, including Joan Borysenko, Deepak Chopra, geneticist Dr. Francis Collins, acclaimed sportswriter Frank Deford, Dr. Larry Dossey, Wayne Dyer, Dan Millman, Caroline Myss, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, Dr. Bernie Siegel, James Van Praagh, singer Billy Vera, Doreen Virtue, Neale Donald Walsch, and bassist Victor Wooten.
Here is a three-minute video that introduces you to Phil and his book. Click here to order Sixty Seconds. Click here to ask Phil to add you to his e-mail list for updates on his blog and books.
Reading this book is like spending a few minutes face to face with each of the contributors and listening to their personal stories. Click here to read unsolicited testimonials from readers. Learn more by visiting the official Sixty Seconds website.
Sixty Seconds was one of three finalists in the General Interest/How-To category at the 12th annual Visionary Awards presented by COVR (Coalition of Visionary Resources) in Denver on June 27, 2009.
Tags: caroline myss, creativity, self-discipline, Writing
