Nope, it’s not about Elsa.
I’m listening to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic about creativity. Gilbert makes a point of letting go of her art once it has left her hands.
This is not easy for me. Perhaps it’s not easy for anyone, even those who do it as beautifully as Gilbert does. This is why I have so rarely let others see my writing. The fear of misuse, mis-translation, misunderstanding, or worse has always held me back.
Last year I spoke with someone about one of my posts and they had done just that. In what I considered an unwise, imprudent decision , this person had used one of my big leaps to justify their decision. Or at least identify with it.
I was incensed. I have put a metric ton, shitload, hellza lotta thought and careful planning into the leaps I’m taking. I have also thought about this conversation entirely too much. Despite all that mulling, ponderance, and contemplation it took me over a month to figure out exactly why this bothered me so much.
I have never learned to let go of my art.
So let’s try this on for size. It’s not about me or my work. We humans are amazing when it comes to justifying our actions. It’s called external self-justification. AKA the use of external rationalizations to justify one’s actions. External self-justification is our effort to reduce our responsibility for a behavior and is usually brought on by mental discomfort.
Over 14 million people read Eat Pray Love. Some said it lead them to leave their marriage, sell all their possessions and travel, or whatever it was they probably wanted or needed to do anyway. (It’s worth noting that enough people did this that Gilbert wrote the introduction to a book called Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It: Life Journeys Inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert’s Bestselling Memoir.)
I hope that whatever I choose to do through my coaching business, this blog, or just living my life is used to improve people’s lives. But I can’t control that. And their idea of what constitutes improvement isn’t up to me. It’s really none of my business. So it’s time. Time to….
Alright fine, it can be a little about Elsa. After all, Disney has to be OK with this (and much worse) being done to their art.