After seeing 'Eversteel' on the big screen, collecting my Oscar for 'Best Screenplay', and finishing my guest speech at the Harvard Commencement Ceremony, I abruptly awoke and was welcomed by a blank page staring back at me. There was page one, with nothing written on it but the word, 'Bright'. After rubbing my eyes, I looked over at my Playstation 5, which kept pestering me to ditch my silly project and come have some fun.
"You're a doctor, not a writer!", it said, "Leave some time for a lil' R&R; you deserve it!"
I tossed a T-Shirt to muffle the heckler and looked back at the screen. After staring at the lone word for almost 30 minutes, I noticed the Playstation peeking through its cotton cover, tempting me once again.
“Why take on all this extra work? You already have a career! Nothing wrong with a lil' gaming after a long day at the office."
Unable to produce any meaningful words on the page, I spun toward the console with a loud huff and began to play one of my favorite games. The light from my tablet blanketed the opposite wall, like a giant white flag signaling my surrender. Relaxation provided no safe quarter as I didn't feel any better engaging in one of my favorite pastimes.
In fact, I felt worse.
I realized I was just daydreaming about using my imagination and expressing myself artistically in a meaningful way. Like many, I thought how cool it would be to enjoy the success of a famous artist, but when faced with the work it takes to get there, deferred to something easier. Although I've worked hard to achieve many things (becoming a doctor, a divemaster, and getting a personal trainer certification to name a few), they were all pursuits with a tangible and proven reward upon completion.
But this was different. Not only was there no guarantee of success, odds were that my novel would sink into an ocean of obscurity, never seeing the light of day. There is only a 1-2% chance of being traditionally published, with the average published work selling an average of 3,000 copies over its entire lifetime. Talk about daunting!
However, my initial reason for writing 'Eversteel' was never about landing on The New York Times Bestseller List. It was to express myself artistically and put my imagination and illustration skills to use. Sketching for fun and recounting funny stories was no longer satisfying; I felt a strong need to do something with what others have said I have talent. A dusty portfolio stored in the garage wasn't sitting well with me. I wanted to be creative and engage with other creatives; create a community where passion, inspiration, and fun take center stage.
And playing video games wasn't going to get me there.
So I let out a long sigh and said to myself, "Finish that project!". I turned off the Playstation (much to its dismay) and went back to my tablet. I made a deal with myself that I had to finish at least one page before relaxing or engaging in my other hobbies. Before I knew it, that one page turned to 50, 50 became 200, and 200 became a finished novel. I then illustrated the chapter art, created the cover, and proofed it until I was sick of reading it. A few months of formatting and my finished novel arrived on my front porch a month ago. What started as just an idea and a desire to use my artistic side is now a published novel and the beginning of a creative community.
According to a University of Scranton study and others, only 8% of people will achieve goals they set for themselves. The other 92% find reasons to quit. If you find yourself repeatedly dreaming of doing something (no matter how grand), don't be one of those who just talks about it, get up from that comfy chair and...
…finish that project.
