Making a Practice of Persistence

Details

Published on Wednesday, 23 March 2011 15:40

Last week, Peter Clothier, author of Persist: In Praise of the Creative Spirit in a World Gone Mad with Commerce, gave an inspiring lecture at the Portland Art Museum. His topic was one of his favorites: Persistence. Specifically, Peter's message - which is not just to artists but creative people of every sort - is to persist - no matter what the obstacles - in doing those things you love to do.

Portland is home to Powell's Books, one of the biggest bookstores - perhaps the biggest independent bookstore - in the country. It's so big, it's known as the "City of Books." The morning before his lecture, Peter found himself in Powell's, wandering from floor to floor amidst the stacks and stacks of new and used books. Like any good speaker, Peter used this experience of local color to introduce his topic and immediately grab the attention of his audience. 

Impressive as Powell's was, for Peter (and as it turned out for several in the audience, too) his visit there had a negative undertone. As a writer, he had to ask himself, "What could I possibly add to this mountain of stuff?" The sheer volume of books available for sale in one place was enough to - momentarily - shake his confidence in his desire to write even one more word.

Irrelevancy is a huge obstacle to overcome. But, as Peter insisted, irrelevancy and many, many other obstacles can be overcome through persistence. Just keep at it, Peter said, not for the fame and fortune your work can bring, but for the love of the work itself. 

Also, as any good speaker will do, Peter didn't just encourage his audience to persist, he gave specific advice how how to persist in four simple steps. It is no coincidence that these are the same four steps he uses in his daily meditation practice, which helps clear his mind so that he can write. The four steps are:

• Show up

• Sit down

• Focus/concentrate

• Persist

The successful artist - or meditator, for that matter - must show up to whatever place (studio, den, office, shop,) the work is done, and show up regularly; show up ready to get down to business; focus on and apply concentration to the work; and, finally, stick with it whether you want to or not.

A prolific writer, Peter has known since he was 12 years old that his mission in life is to communicate ideas to others through his chosen art form, writing. Although he's written a couple of novels published by major houses, he admits that novel writing, for him, was a blind alley as something he didn't particulary enjoy. Over the years, through the persistence of an almost daily writing practice, he's become a master essayist who can get to the heart of a variety of topics. A part of that mastery deals with writing about himself, which he is able to do with humility and honesty and without coming across as whiny or complaining or boastful.

You can learn more about Peter and enjoy his writing in the pages of Persist and on his blog, The Buddha Diaries.