How Long Does It Take?

I am involved in a several things presently that are creative ventures. One of them has been a work in progress for the past ten years. I have to confess that while it has been at work in my mind that long, it has too often gotten very little prioritized attention from me. The other is a collaborative effort that has been in motion for about three years, and it has gotten a lot of attention from those partnering with me. And, then, there is one that has received a lot of my attention recently and has been building for most of this decade.

All three of these projects seem to be getting significant levels of traction at this time, and yet often I find myself frustrated by the process. I don't know if you can relate. It just seems like it takes a long time to make things happen. To say that I stuggle with impatience would be an understatement, but I wonder if there isn't more involved. I wonder if my expectations about what it takes to create something of real value isn't just a little off.

I have been reminded before that it takes a diamond a number of years under great pressure to become the final product people die to discover and possess. The pearl is a marvel that resides in a most unusual context for a long time before the friction of its surroundings shapes it into the wonder it finally becomes. A butterfly with all of its beauty and grace doesn't begin that way. It seems to lie dormant in an ungraceful, not beautiful state for a period of time before it emerges with all of its glory. And on and on we could go reflecting on the wonders of the world. They all have one thing in common. They all take time. They all are shaped by forces without and within.

Maybe you have heard the anecdotal story of Michelangelo's creation of "The David". As the story goes, when asked how he created such a glorious piece of art, Michelangelo suggested that his job was simply to release The David from the bondage of the stone. Robert Fritz, in his work Your Life as Art, says that while it makes a wonderful story, it is simply not true. Michelangelo is known to have worked for years on The David through sketches and prototypes before he ultimately sculpted the treasure many of us know and love.

So, what is the point? The point I am making in reminder to myself is that it is undisciplined arrogance and immaturity to expect something of any real value to happen over night. It takes time. And, it takes the elements of creative tension to ever hope to bring them about. If I am going to be a part of creating something special, I have to regard it as a work first. Then, a work of discipline. Then, a work of symphony. Then, a work of love. So, that is my message to me. Maybe you need it too. Do well, my friends.