Be Brave
RULE NUMBER 1 - BE BRAVE
I’ve been wanting for a long time to try my hand at writing a novel. At 66, it seems a bit late in the game for that sort of thing.
Which brings to mind a conversation I had with a dear friend several years ago.
His name is Joe Sutphin (www.joesutphin.com). He is a remarkable artist, a self-described “illustrator of books for kids.” I told him that, for many years, I’ve hoped I might someday learn to draw and paint. Nothing professional or too ambitious; just something to do for personal enjoyment. It’s still at the top of my bucket list as a creative.
Joe began a sneaky cross-examination, something along these lines:
Joe - “Have you already bought some sketch pads?”
Me - “I have. Got several in fact. All kinds. Rough. Smooth. Bristol board. Moleskins. Toned papers. Different weights. Rag paper. You name it and I probably have it.”
Joe - “And I’ll bet you already have some pencils and pastels too, don’t you?”
Me - “I do. Pencils. Pen and ink. Rapidographs. Charcoal. All sorts of lead sizes and textures. I’ve got a bunch of them.”
Joe - “You probably have some paints and canvases too don’t you?”
Me - “I do. I’ve got gouache and watercolor, acrylic and some oils. And I’ve got a bunch of canvases and cold-pressed papers, different weights.”
About now, Joe nods knowingly as I itemize the proof of my sincerity. If I didn’t really want to learn to draw and paint, would I have gone to all this trouble and spent all this money?
The friendly cross-examination continued.
Joe - “So, you have all the supplies to get started?”
Me - “Yep. I’ve been getting ready for years.”
Joe - “Have you actually drawn or painted anything yet?”
Following a short silence and a stammered attempt at listing all my excuses, Joe offered a bit of advice.
“Go to the store and buy 500 sheets of cheap copying paper; it’ll cost less than ten dollars. And buy a box of ten number 2 pencils, pre-sharpened. You can probably get them for a dollar or so. And then everyday, draw. Draw anything. Make lines or letters. Draw a leaf or a feather. Draw anything. Just anything. Simply get the pencil in your hand and begin. You can throw all 500 sheets away when you’re done. You don’t have to show them to anybody. But at some point, you’re going to draw and be pleased with the result.”
Joe’s point?
I had the pencils, the paper, the paint, even the desire.
What was lacking?
True, I didn’t have background or training or time. It would have been an honest statement to say I didn’t quite know how to begin. But those are all red herrings.
What I lacked was this . . .
courage; bravery, audacity.
(Yes, I know those words are redundant but I’m making a point.)
Let me steal a line from Winston Churchill. The venerable old pug, as you might know, was also an artist. He took up painting when he was 40. In his short book, Painting as a Pastime, he wrote the following:
“If you are inclined - late in life though it be - to reconnoitre a foreign sphere of limitless extent (my note: this could mean anything new; novel-writing, painting, wood-working, gardening, or tap-dancing), then be persuaded that the first quality that is needed is Audacity.”
Audacity. Dictionary definition - “a willingness to take bold risks.”
So, one like myself wants to write a book. Maybe you have a story you want to tell?
We look at the blank page. We’ve read a room full of books by skilled writers. Maybe we know, from previous attempts at letter writing or school essays or creative writing workshops, just how difficult it will be to construct a well-told story.
The blank page is terrifying.
It looks at us as if making a dare.
The easy thing to do is delay: buy more paper, more pens, read more books about how to write a good book, attend more seminars, watch more videos or Master Classes on the internet, make more resolutions, clarify one’s intentions, and say, once again, that terrible word . . . Someday.
Here’s what I’ve learned as I’ve attempted my first novel.
At some point, I would have to fight through the timidity,
take the dare,
pick up the pen,
be brave, and . . .
BEGIN.