Poem of the Week: Keep At It by David Lynch
You want to do your art, but you've got to live.
Keep At It
David Lynch
It's such a tricky business. You want to do your art, but you've got to live. So you've got to have a job, and then sometimes you're too tired to do your art.
But if you love what you're doing, you're going to keep on doing it anyway. I've been very lucky. Along the way, there are people who help us. I've had plenty of those people in my life who've helped me go to the next step. And you get that help because you've done something, so you have to keep doing it.
So much of what happened to me is good fortune. But I would say: Try to get a job that gives you some time; get your sleep and a little bit of food; and work as much as you can. There's so much enjoyment in doing what you love.
Maybe this will open doors, and you'll find a way to do what you love. I hope you do.
This work originally appeared in Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, Creativity (2006).
This isn’t a poem.
But, it’s also a poem in its own way. For many of us, the art of creativity, the path of passion, the journey through the shadows and the mist is all consuming. But, we also have to live. How? When? Why? How does it all work together? I first read this passage in university and it stuck with me ever since. I hope it does for you, too.
Odds are, you’re probably a fan of David Lynch like me and I’m reflecting on his deep impact on my creative practice (and love of cinema). I already touched on this sentiment on my Instagram, but so much of his work and philosophy on craft has shaped who I am. Oh, and I love Twin Peaks.
And if you want to keep ruminating—and remembering—Lynch’s legacy, check out this interview with AnOther magazine from 2014.