I’ve been a fan of mythologist/writer Joseph Campbell‘s books and appearances since I was a teen. His famous phrase is, “Follow Your Bliss.” It’s a lyrical way of saying, “always do what you love,” particularly in regard to your occupation.
I believe that we all have things in our lives that make us happy. Sometimes, though, we have a hard time doing things that make us happy. I think it’s an American thing. 😉
For instance, I have been a writer since I was 8 years old. I’ve written throughout my life, and it brings me tremendous joy. For several years, I had a day job that allowed me to write and edit all day in Portland, a city I love. But my inner creator wanted to do more. I wanted to write and edit lots of things, including my own work. But I (or my internal censor) held that desire captive, because of the usual fears: failure, insolvency, writer’s block, and so on. The internal censor held sway for a long time, but my inner creator would periodically put up a big fight.
Eventually, I came to realize that before I could actually do what I want for a living, I needed to tell the internal censor to buzz off. That inner 8 year old needed room to come out and play and just enjoy the joy of creativity.
Before I could really “follow my bliss,” I needed to liberate it.
That’s where I am at the moment. I’m still a journeyman finding his way with this new writing/editing venture. But I love every minute of it.
So, do you follow your bliss? Or do you need to liberate it?