If You’re a Politically Incorrect Author

“The third kind is the madness of those who are possessed by the Muses; which taking hold of a delicate and virgin soul, and their inspiring frenzy, awakens lyrical and all other numbers; with these adorning the myriad actions of ancient heroes for the instruction of posterity. But he who, having no touch of the Muses’ madness in his soul, comes to the door and thinks that he will get into the temple by the help of art—he, I say, and his poetry are not admitted; the sane man disappears and is nowhere when he enters into rivalry with the madman.”

            From Phaedrus by Plato, translation by Benjamin Jowett.

I think anyone who writes and who writes well—that is to say with passion, power, beauty, and conviction—is necessarily touched by divine madness; and this madness is a fire that has the potential to consume the one who dares wield it. For those uncomfortable with the mysticism of Plato, Touched with Fire: Manic-depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament by Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison essentially confirms the thesis and the price paid by artists. However, my purpose now is not to detail The Agony and the Ecstasy of creation; rather, the more mundane aspects of it: how an aspiring artist makes her work available to the public. heads day by day, minute by minute.

• Pressfield, Steven. The War of Art (pp. 126-127). Black Irish Entertainment LLC. Kindle Edition.

Whether you are considering writing a book or starting a business, fear not. You’re not alone. I have had customers in the United Kingdom purchase my books and through Amazon, they’re available all over the world. I have hope. And although marketplace success is not at all guaranteed, I truly believe, despite the sacrifice it entails, in the act of creation you will find joy in the work and the accomplishment, as I myself have done.

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