You've been doing the morning pages for two weeks. Something moves inside you. And suddenly, everything starts to go wrong. Cameron calls this resistance, and it is the most reliable sign that the process is working.
You've been doing the morning pages for two weeks. You have had your first date with the artist. Something moves inside you. And suddenly, everything starts to go wrong: you argue with your partner, your head hurts, you have a work trip just when you were going to write, you caught a cold the weekend of your date. Coincidence, right?
Cameron says no. He calls it resistance, and it is the most reliable sign that the process is working.
Why resistance appears
Your current life is built around the version of you that doesn't believe. Your schedules, your relationships, your commitments — everything is organized for a person who doesn't spend time on their art. When you start to change that, the system falters.
And the system fights. Your partner complains that you spend less time together. Your boss is loading you with more work right now. Your body gets sick. Your mind bombards you with doubts. It is no coincidence: it is the ecosystem of your life trying to maintain the previous balance.
"When we start working with our creativity, it's like starting a rusty electrical system. Sparks fly."
Common forms of resistance
Timely illness
A cold, a back pain, a digestive problem. Just when you were starting. The body can be an ally of the censor.
Relationship crisis
An important discussion that comes out of nowhere. Or a family member who suddenly needs you more than ever. Other people's urgency as an excuse to abandon your process.
Self-boycott
Falling asleep and "not having time" for the pages. Forget your appointment with the artist. Accept commitments that you know will occupy your creative time.
How to get through it
Resistance cannot be defeated by fighting against it. It expires moving forward despite her. The morning pages of a day of resistance are the most important in the process. The appointment with the artist that you almost cancel is the one that teaches you the most.
Cameron compares it to crossing a river: there is a moment when the water reaches your chest and your whole body asks you to turn back. If you continue walking, a few steps later the water begins to go down. But if you turn around, you'll have to cross again from the beginning.
"Resistance is proof that you are going in the right direction. If there was nothing on the other side, there would be nothing to resist."
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