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?

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