Hello there! Today I’m posting about meeting your Resistance – that pesky wall you have that feels like an electric fence buzzing away inside you.
There are many, many ways of understanding resistance, but I’ve found that most of them lead me to having more, not less, resistance.
And when your aim is to have words on the page, getting more resistant to writing is not a good thing!
But! All is not lost! Getting to know your resistance, knowing what it means, and figuring out what shape it takes when it shows up in your writing life is a skill that will stand you in good stead. Hold onto your hats folks, because I’m going to quote Seth Godin here (marketing and connection economy guru, and bestselling author extraordinaire):
The resistance is the confused and angry noise in our heads that shows up whenever we put our creativity on the line. It is writer’s block and procrastination and, most insidious of all, the subtle instinct to do a little less, to polish along the edges, to fit in, to get along, to become mediocre.
The voice of the resistance is a million years old. It understands that art is dangerous, because art makes you vulnerable, because art generates criticism, because your art is not for everyone…. The resistance is the shadow of art. No art, no resistance.
…when the resistance shows up, I know that I’m winning. Not my fight against it, but my fight to make art.
Using Seth Godin’s words as a lens to understand your resistance means seeing the growing resistant feeling as a signal that you’re getting close to the heart of your work. It’s having the bravery to undress, to take off your armour on the page, to show up in all your glorious vulnerability that makes the difference between someone who feels the resistance and writes anyway, and someone who feels the resistance and avoids it.
If you’re resistant, it’s different to just stuck. Resistance is a sign – usually a sign that you’re approaching a truth, a gut-deep truth for you, that can be the source of your most powerful writing. Shying away from the resistance will in this case weaken your writing. Your story is the most powerful thing that you have to write from. It’s what will draw people in, and keep them reading.
You can map your resistance by writing down how it feels in your body when it shows up in your emotions. Write down exactly how it felt, which part of you tensed, or hurt, or suddenly tickled, or however else it showed up for you, and what that meant for you writing. Then, next time you’re writing and feel your body making the same habitual pattern of feeling, you will know that your resistance is present.
If you’re writing a project and you suddenly become aware you’re resistant, stop. Just stop writing for a moment, and feel into that resistance.
Give it a little airtime. You can then begin a careful approach, where you dance your way closer to a meaningful, and more powerful and vulnerable piece of work by being brave enough to make that connection with your resistance, and through that, speak to your right people through your vulnerability.
Make sure that you are gentle with yourself, too. Meeting the Resistance takes bravery, guts and stickability. Once you’ve explored as much as you want to for today, celebrate in some way that feels good. I usually put on some danceable kind of music and rock out, for the sheer joy of having faced a fear. Or I take extra care with the cup of tea I reward myself with, and use my favourite teapot and special cup and saucer. Whatever makes you feel extra-good and rewarded will ensure that you are ready to face the Resistance the next time it appears.
So to recap, when you have resistance:
- Stop. Feel into it for a moment.
- Give it some airtime. See how it feels in your body.
- Write it down, for later.
- Be brave. Write your way closer, and show your readers how much you are willing to expose of yourself to make that connection with them.
Most of all, be gentle with yourself. Celebrate your meetings with your resistance, and you’ll be more willing to meet it again.
Let me know how you meet your Resistance, either in the comments, or by email: tamara {at} tamaraprotassow {dot} com, and as the French say, “Vive le Resistance!” (Long live Resistance!)
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