The Tail Wagging the Dog

My web designer/friend Peter Klein said something interesting this week that might resonate for you.

Here It Is

When people are blocked from taking action to get their creative work into the world, and trauma has caused this block, the trauma, even if it was huge, probably didn’t last that long. 

It’s a testament to the power of trauma that something that maybe lasted a day, or a week or even a year; in other words, something that took up a teeny percentage of your life, can have such an outsized impact. 

What he said exactly was “Two percent of your life that was taken up by trauma, can drive 98% of your reactions and decisions.”

Damn.

How can you tell if this is true for you?

Two ways. First, do you want to get your work into the world, but just can’t seem to? Is something always in the way? Do you have a lot of excellent reasons why your work isn’t in the world yet, and given time, could come up with an infinite number of more? 

Or—can you trace your foot-dragging or outright reluctance to get your work into the world to an actual traumatic incident? Did someone who meant a lot to you criticize your work, which lead you to vow never to show it to anyone ever again?

Is Two Percent of Your Life Driving the Other 98%?

My book, Artists Prosper, offers an antidote to this.

Your work matters.