Finishing a Work of Art

What was originally called The Discomfortable Person’s Guide to Self-Acceptance is now out of my hands. It has transformed into Journey to the Ecstatic Self—and is at the mercy of an editor, designer, and typesetter. It is getting dressed for its debutant ball—all gussied and bedazzled and tiara-ed. Soon it will be an entity unto itself—my job in creating it is complete.

Sure, I still have to shepherd it into the world—but I am now but its escort, no longer its maker. And it’s time to let it go.

Surrendering a piece of art into the world is always a strange and harrowing experience. With it goes a piece of ourselves. We, the creators of art, invest our life force, consciousness, and will into the making of a piece. But then, it leaves us—like a child off to university. Where it will have experiences, make new friends, binge drink at frat parties—create new tales of which we will know not. Have we taught it well enough? Have we reminded it to only drink from beer bottles because it’s less likely someone will roofie such a small opening?

I hope the world will be kind to JTTES—I hope they will make it feel loved. But, like an empty-nesting parent, I am a little sad. For the past many months, my focus has been honed in on the cultivation of this manuscript. Now, life-force given, I am empty. I will have to turn my abilities to something new. In time, I shall create again. But in this moment—I simply must sit and just marvel. Something has been given new life at my fingertips. I, like the Heavenly Mother, has spawned something into creation. What a marvelous act!

I will likely not have children this lifetime—so this is my sole means of creating progeny. It is the only way I will know how to create new life.

It is awe inspiring, harrowing, and daunting. I hope I have created well.

Comments

Takes alot of courage to pour your heart into something like this and then send it out into the aether. Wishing you good luck and happiness in knowing you might help bring some clarity and purpose to someone that you'll never know was touched so :)
 
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You're a young man, never say never.

With the success of your writing, you will have the income to have children (adoption, surrogate, etc.) however you like.

Having provided my perspective, I wish you joy and happiness with the publication of your book.

Indy
 
Congratulations on seeing your baby through to completion. I can imagine many people start and never finish. I wish you much success and joy. I hope you find something wonderful to pour yourself into.

Alex
 
As a creative person (musician and writer) I know this struggle all too well. When any of my compositions are debuted for the first time (even if only to friends) I get nervous, anxious, and wondering if I have done everything i can for them. Our creations are the children of our souls much more so than many other things can be because they are created, not with blood, but with intentions of the heart, and because they come from our hearts (even if we think its from our head and mind), when they meet critique it feels like a hit to your own core. All I can say is, you've done your best, all you can do is let it go, and accept both critique and praise as it comes as a sign that you have at least touched someone with your work.
 
@hugehungyogi No worries! I do a lot of creative writing and its how I feel. The biggest thing is to realize not everyone is going to like you're work, and there's always going to be someone who says something really negative. Don't take it personally.
 
As an architect and builder, I have brought into being many custom houses for clients over many years. It's always exciting to watch a family move into and then live in spaces that I have conceived, designed and built.
But I've also had the very sad experience of seeing some of those pieces of my soul fall into disrepair. I don't understand how people can let that happen! I do understand that, like a child, I can nurture it into existence, I can try to dress it well as it meets the world, I can introduce it to all the right people (hopefully, my clients were the right people), but then I have to give up control.
It's all really beautiful when your creation nurtures other people, but letting go of expectations is very difficult.
I wish you and your creation well!
 
Maybe if you don't let go, you won't leave space for another project to emerge.

Depends upon whether you want to BE a creator, or to HAVE CREATED this one, I don't doubt exemplary, new opus.
 

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