“Fear was an artificial condition. It’s imposed from the outside. So it’s possible to fight it. You should do the things you’re afraid of.”

― Martha Wells, Artificial Condition

If you’re interested in any sort of creative pursuit, you should read Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art. In it, he identifies what he calls “resistance,” that nagging voice of self doubt that somehow always seems to pop into our heads when we’re on the verge of doing anything meaningful. It’s evolution trying to sabotage us–the status quo is safe, so there’s a part of us that wants us to stay there permanently. 

        But here’s a powerful idea: whenever something makes you feel uncomfortable or afraid or like giving up, that might mean it’s something you absolutely must do or explore or ask. Often, fear is just our body’s reaction to uncertainty, and while fear of the unknown is completely natural, if you never take the plunge into it, you’ll miss out on a whole lot.

        So, the next time you feel resistance, embrace it like an old friend and carry on. Something extraordinary is right around the corner.

        Incidentally, I just finished listening to the audiobook of All Systems Red, which is the first novella in Martha Wells’s Murderbot Diaries series (the above quote is from #2 in the series). It’s about an assassin robot that hacks its governor module so that it doesn’t have to follow human orders and can instead spend its days watching soap operas on the entertainment feed. If you’ve ever felt awkward in social situations, then you’ll love these stories, because deep down, Murderbot is a shy introvert. 

Note to readers: Each week (or, most weeks, anyway), I share an inspiring quote from a fantasy book or author and wax poetic about it, indulging my inner philosopher. If you have a favorite fantasy quote, email it to me and I may share it in a future newsletter: dtkane@dtkane.com.