- C.S. Lewis, "On Three Ways of Writing for Children" from Of Other Worlds
For those of you who do not know, I adore C.S. Lewis. I wrote my Master's thesis on the Chronicles of Narnia. My mother read a chapter a night at bedtime to my brother and me for years. Each time I read his work, I find something I missed before. Lewis is my favorite author - hands down.
I posted this quote because it is something I try to live by. No, not just the reading fairy-tales part, but the lesson encompassed in the last line. In essence, Lewis is telling us not to worry about what other people think. Fear of what people will say keeps so many of us in a creative limbo. You look at your work, whether it is writing, dancing, singing, baking, sewing - whatever - and think that people will tell you it isn't good enough.
But stop for a moment and ask, who created the standard of 'good enough'? The gauge by which all creativity is measured is there because someone took the risk and put themselves out there for all the world to see. So for me, Lewis' words are not simply about being worried what people think of my actions, but what they think of my creative work.
This blog is my "putting away the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." I LOVE to write stories. I like to sit and listen to music and let my mind create stories to each piece. Sometimes it becomes a music video - choreographed to each beat. I enjoy reading volumes of fairy-tales, nurturing that small seed of hope that there really is something magical beyond what we can see.
So I challenge all of you: whatever you do that is creative, whether you think it is silly or not, put it out there! Share what makes you happy; that piece of "childishness." And PUT AWAY the "desire to be very grown up."
Of Other Worlds by C.S. Lewis at Amazon.com
