Work
Weekly Presence Prompt
Denise Stewart, writer, actress, comedian, producer, director, hard worker, phenomenon
RULE SEVEN: The only rule is work. If you work it will lead to something. It’s the people who do all of the work all of the time who eventually catch on to things.
--John Cage, “10 Rules for Students and Teachers”
“Any song you hear is someone who did the work. Any piece of art or a book is someone else who sat still long enough to do the work…Plenty are capable, and some are extraordinarily talented, but few will do the work…When it is over, if you have done the work, people will know you better and that is all they really want and all you could ever hope for.”
—Denise Stewart, “Dirty Barbie and Other Girlhood Tales”
Everything that I have ever valued, everything that is the most precious to me, has come with hard work: relationships, raising children, writing, acting, coaching, loving, exploring, collaborating, creating, health. This work is balanced by play and joy, but it is the work that brings depth and meaning. I love the work as much as I love the play.
This reminds me of the distinction between achievement and success in last week’s post: achievement is the result of our own work; it is in our own control. While success depends on how are work is received, perceived, judged, accepted.
As I age, I am far more impressed with people who just do the hard work; that is where people actually distinguish themselves. When I was a teenager, I yearned to be one of those people who seemed to do everything with ease. They could ski terrifying slopes with grace, they could disarm anyone with self-deprecating humor, they never seemed to sit and study, yet dazzled us all with their insights and wit. Oh, to be at ease!
What I did not know then was that ease isn’t easy. It takes work. It takes practice, experience, time.
This week, we look for an area that is untended and put in the work. Like a garden plot that’s been neglected, we put on our gloves, pull out the weeds, dig deep into the rich soil, and relish the sweat, blood, and tears of hard work. Then, we enjoy the ripe tomatoes and florid blooms. Never more delightful!
#work #practice #johncage #denisestewart #communication #rehearsal #dirtybarbie
Thank you Kate. Your wisdom grows with your work. Thinly veiled disapproval expressed by concern and exhortations to not 'work so hard' or 'so much' often feel like pressure to be at peace with mediocrity. Lord knows you have never been--and I strive not to be:). Namaste, jg
Everything worth doing deserves work. I love the work, too, and am grateful for the reminder that doing it does not make me a grind or a bore. Long live the work that leads to the ease.