Monday, May 24, 2010

Things I Strive For As A Writer: Guts

(Part 1 in a series of "Things I Strive For As A Writer.")

First, watch this video:


When I first saw this, I had a few reactions.

1. These guys are batsh*t crazy.

2. This has to be some kind of joke.

3. "Sport"? Really?

4. That takes GUTS.

Whether it's real or not I don't know, but the principle is so fascinating to me. It's almost as crazy as someone finding the end of a rainbow, you know? But for the sake of this post, I'm pretending it's real.

More than anything, I admire their confidence, their belief in the impossible, and their determination to TRY. Even in the face of probably a lot of criticism and mocking. (I mean, c'mon, the jokes here are endless if you start thinking about it.)

Writing takes guts. It takes courage to sit down and create a story, a world, out of nothing. Especially when it feels like it'll never happen, that you're wasting your time, or that it's impossible. Especially when people are out there just waiting to criticize your work, your crazy dream. Sometimes the hardest part is simply believing that you can.

I want guts like these water running dudes. I want to wake up and think, "Hmm, today maybe I'll walk on water, or perhaps I'll find the end of a rainbow, or maybe I'll write the best scene of my life."

Sure, I'd sound crazy, but I'm not so sure that's a bad thing. When you reach for your dreams, you always end up a little better off than if you never reached at all. The world has enough cynics, I think, and not enough dreamers.

29 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, wow! That was an amazing video, and I can see what you mean about jokes and such. Really, though, what a great thing to get me thinking about goals and things that seem crazy!

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  2. I always reach for my dreams, and my family (parents mostly) always thinks I'm nuts ;) My wife and kids support my insanity.

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  3. Edison thought, "hmm, I think I want to harness electric energy to light people's homes." I'm pretty sure that's what he thought, anyway. And look what we got for that.

    I like the moral of the story here: dream bigger than you think you can achieve, because you just might.

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  4. Don't hate me for this... it's plexiglass. It's virtually invisible in water.

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  5. Yeah, see, Jamie, I knew it could be a hoax, but I still really like the principle, you know?

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  6. "The world has enough cynics, I think, and not enough dreamers." -- Love this! What great words of encouragement.

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  7. Who cares if its plexiglass! Great post Natalie. I have long been saddened by the overabundance of cynics, all over! I really, really enjoyed Conan O'Brien's last show, because he made a lovely speech, encouraging people to not be cynical about pursuing their dreams, and that he didn't harbor any bad feelings over the shafting with his contract.

    Plexiglass be damned. Let's all run on water.

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  8. That was an awesome post! Very inspirational :)

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  9. Yep, some people can just walk on water. It doesn't hurt if the rest of us just try from time to time.

    I agree with the closing line also.

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  10. No you are right... the IDEA behind it is a GOOD one...

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  11. I can see everyone now trying to run on the water. :) Because that's all I was thinking during the whole thing, even if it's fake, I'm going try that next time I'm at the lake. lol My husband has also decided he is going to try barefoot waterskiing. He does have size 17 feet, so I think that might actually work.

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  12. That's fun - even if it's a hoax, it's very cool :)

    I love this by Liza -- "Plexiglass bedamned. Let's all run on water"

    Let's do it!

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  13. My husband's uncle drove a snowmobile across Deer Creek (a big lake in UT) and made it! So sure, it could happen right? I think having guts and believing in dreams and maybe even a little bit of magic is not only good - but necessary as an artist. Great post. :-)

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  14. Things like this, even the hoaxes, highlight something interesting about human nature. People watch the video and wish they could do it, too... even though crossing water is something people have been able to do for millenia.

    It's not enough that a machine can do it, there's something inherent in the species that says they should be able to do it without the machine. There shouldn't be any boundaries.

    It's like the guys that freedive to depths that would make most people black out, just because something in them says it's possible.

    Walls are a human construction, and boundaries aren't something that came with this life.

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  15. You are right, writing takes guts! It takes even more guts to share your writing with others. I read a news article today about a 13-year-old kid who climbed Mt. Everest and many of the comments said something like, "Yeah, well, not all of us can afford to go around the world climbing mountains." This kid, in all his wisdom, said he wanted to inspire other kids to dream big and achieve their goals. And you know what? No amount of criticism people will throw at him or his parents or whoever can take away that feeling he has, that feeling of accomplishment, of having seen his dream come true. THAT is what makes it all worth it.

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  16. Thank you for this post. It definitely takes guts to keep striving for your dreams, even when it's difficult, even when you know you will more likely fail than not. :)

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  17. great post...I think these guys will run on water someday. I believed it!

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  18. I loved your post and the video, even if it is a hoax. It's interesting. I agree with Josin and would take it farther; people feel the same way about flying.

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  19. Someone needs to discover magic, so I can do things like fly and run on water.

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  20. I love this post...cuz dude, we totally need guts in our chosen dream!

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  22. Pretty funny Natalie! Aaron and I enjoyed it! P.S. Thank you for the quilt you gave me. I use it all the time!

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  23. Honestly, I do believe that if you want something, and if your determined, unafraid, and persistent, chances are you'll get it - even if it seems impossible. Not all the time, I admit, but most of the time. When people see you charging after your dreams, some of them may laugh, but others may help, and you'll certainly have an impact. Great post, and I loved that video - even if it is a joke.

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  24. I totally loved this post and that spirit. Every time you sit down at the page you take a leap of faith into the unknown and the belief that you are creating something worthwhile. It takes heaps of courage to do that; more than many will ever know. Thank you!

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  25. I think dreaming is vital to this writing thing. And this human thing, really. Great post!

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  26. First, that is one wild video--I have to show it to my teen son.

    Second, I LOVE your vision. Next time I start thinking I'm nuts for doing this writing thing, I'll picture those dudes running on water.

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  27. Crazy is a matter of perspective. Columbus, the Wright Brothers, Da Vinci, all considered crazy at some point... But as these names show, we get nowhere by not takin that leap either.

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