Change strikes like a bolt of lightning (sometimes)
As kids we sometimes dream of instant transformation into heroes or powerful beings. Popular culture features striking examples of the transformation ritual: either a one time or repeated action which unlocks great power in the individual.
According to myth, pulling a magic sword out of a stone was the first step young Arthur took to becoming the King of England. In a similar event, high school student Peter Parker is given amazing spider-like powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider, leading him to become the costumed super-hero Spider-Man.
In other stories, a transformative ritual changes a normal person into a being of great power, like the examples below:
These transformations are temporary but extremely powerful. These are two people you don’t want to mess with.
Change is slow and hard work
But let’s be honest for a moment. These transformations which we enjoy as children’s tales are fantasy for two important reasons.
The first reason is the magnitude of change: there is no way to change someone who can barely bench press 20 kilograms to someone who can bench press 20 kilotons regardless of the time and effort expended in training.
The second reason is the speed of change. Most change of any kind is a slow process that takes days, months, if not years to complete. In extreme cases, like the conversion of carbon from coal to diamond, the process can take thousands if not millions of years of relentless pressure.
I’ve pursued three sports or disciplines during my adult life, each for a couple of years:
weight training
Kung Fu
long distance running
In exactly none of these three sports can you instantly become a master (and I certainly did not, although I did reach some goals). This reality of time requirement to make improvement is true for virtually any pursuit in the world.
Improvement at any physical discipline is like entering into a crucible of intense repetitive exercise with good nutrition and strategically used rest breaks designed to ingrain new habits and neural pathway development along with cardiovascular exercise and muscle building. Along the way you also develop a tolerance for pain. And for the boredom of difficult repetition - a different kind of pain. Yet it’s all necessary. Much like the gestation of a new being, these things take time. Like forging metal.
The reason we are driven to become a more accomplished person
But this begs the question: why do people start down these regimes of torture and deprivation in the first place?
Envy, desire, aspiration… all of these are reasons why we start into something new.
But what’s the motivation, what’s the catalyst, what’s the inciting incident that starts you on a quest to become better at something (or to at least gain some minor foothold of skill and accomplishment)?
To me, it’s obvious.
It’s curiosity.
Curiosity is inherent in any being with a developed brain. The desire to know how, or why is key to our development at a personal and a societal level.
What’s the most powerful question anyone can ask? Simple, it’s what if? It’s the counterpart to another equally powerful two word statement: I wish.
For example:
I wish I could run a marathon. What if I set some goals, devised a training program, started… and kept going, being conscious of the need of time, nutrition and rest as a part of the process, as well as gradually increasing my mileage per run?
I wish I could write a novel. What if I bought a notebook and a pen, got some education about writing, committed to writing at least one page a day… and kept going, being conscious of the need of time, good reading material to show me how it’s done, practice and feedback and also developed a series of smaller goals, like microfiction, short stories and chapters to help me prepare?
I wish I knew a lot more about psychology. What if I investigated options for post-secondary education, signed up and just did it?
These are just three examples; there are many similar scenarios that can be sparked by curiosity.
The myth of overnight success (i.e. the magic bolt of lightning)
I don’t think we talk enough about the need for not just persistence with creative work, but also patience. And, just perhaps, we need to decouple the desire for recognition from the need for growth via accomplishment. For those of us with blogs, newsletters, or other budding creative careers, who also attempt to fish in the ponds of social media in order to attract other people to our creative output, this is extremely important.
Pick a favorite writer, artist, actor, director, video maker, photographer, etc., particularly those with longevity and a large body of work. Did this person accomplish everything they did in the blink of an eye? Did they seem to appear out of nowhere to great fame and success? The answer is always no. Like the iceberg that the Titanic hit there’s a lot lying below the surface that you can’t see.
We’ve talked about the 10,000 hour myth before but the reason it struck a chord with so many people is because it’s a metaphor to describe a truth: it takes a long time to become really good at a discipline or even a specific skill. And a lot of that time isn’t just spent working on the skill: it’s spent on supportive learning, building relationships, and finding the best way to present your work for acceptance. A viral Tweet or a link from a popular blogger isn’t going to deliver the goods to you.
A better meaning for SHAZAM
The reason SHAZAM is a magic word in comic books is that it invokes the names of six pagan deities and heroes and temporarily transfers their powers into young Billy Batson:
Solomon - wisdom
Hercules - strength
Atlas - stamina
Zeus - power
Achilles - courage
Mercury - speed
The real world does not have a magic word, but if it did, it should be an acronym that abbreviates the following when it comes to creative work:
Steady - the ability to keep going consistently in a positive direction and not get distracted
Hardiness - strength and endurance, the ability to move through difficulties
Attention - curiosity focused on learning and inspiration
Zeal - energy and enthusiasm for your work
Attitude - be as positive as you can and be as good of a person as you can; treat other people well
Mastery - work on being the best you can be
None of this is a guarantee of financial success or prestige and it won’t be fast. But fame and riches can’t provide you the satisfaction of pursuing curiosity, something of your choosing, and taking adventures that will lead you somewhere, hopefully somewhere fulfilling and rewarding.
How about this
Dear H.A.T.T.E.R., I wrote this with the hope it might be useful for you but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I also wrote it for me. I, too, need to be patient and persistent in what I’m doing and there’s no shortcuts here. But making the transition from I wish to what if is turning curiosity into action and nothing happens without that step.
What do you think about this? Is there some truth in what I’ve written or have I read too many comic books? Please share your thoughts in the comments section!
I feel like every day is a roller coaster for me of knowing that my only goal is sitting down and doing a small thing to get closer to my future goals (getting physically stronger, writing more books, posting good stuff on Substack) and the annoyance that it takes so long. Even though I know that's how it goes. One reason I had to really take an intentional step back from social media is because it tricked me into thinking the process was shorter and easier. I could write something, and then people liked it! I succeeded! I won! But it was all kind of fake, and not any of it brought me closer to my long term goals.
Great post. And so very true. I’m currently working on my BA in Communication and Media. Better late then never, right?