I find that I feel very similarly about my tai chi and my writing. Two weeks ago, I was at a tai chi retreat, watching other students do their tai chi in a very different manner than I am used to. I found their mindfulness appealing and am trying to integrate that into my current practice, but it means thinking about what I'm doing again. No more tai chi on autopilot for a while. It's good. It's a growth in my form. It's more sinking of my energy and weight.
As to writing, well, my current novel is a multi-headed octopus full of Stygian ink. No, really. I thought it was going well, and on some levels it is, but, well, you see, I thought I knew how to write until very recently.
"I thought I knew how to write until very recently."
I have no idea who said it, and I'm probably going to misquote, but I love the saying that we never learn how to write a novel. We only ever figure out how to write *this* novel...
There are immense similarities between my Tai Chi practice and my writing. I reach a plateau, struggle to get a certain move just right, then finally get it and go onto the next move. Adjust, learn, adjust again, incorporate. Tiny improvements over a long period of time.
Writing is much the same way. The first couple of years I learned so much so quickly. Now it's the small adjustments, polishing the technique. It'll never end and frankly, I don't want it to or I'll get bored.
But I do think there is a process of diminishing returns, at which point further perfecting of skills becomes harder and harder, absorbing more and more energy for the amount of progress. I would not want to draw a line somewhere on that arc and say, "Now you are a master," but a person also has to decide, "Hey, is another quarter inch of height on my kick really worth it?"
I hear you about the body changes. When I started TKD as a child, I had a low center of gravity. When I took up weight lifting, my center of gravity shifted upwards and I had to adjust my kicks or fall down. Then I lost weight, and again, had to adjust my kicks.
Actually, at 39, my knees bug me a lot. Not in a OMG, pain, sort of way, but a low grade soreness and stiffness. Have any advice on that?
My body is a slow learner, so I have to admit I find the idea of "no-mind" while in class a dubious proposition. If I don't think, I'll do it wrong for quite a while, and that's probably not such a great idea in a martial arts class. It's also why my martial arts motto is, "Keep it simple, stupid," referring to myself.
If I take a class that involves learning a physical activity, it has to be with the understanding I will be the last guy to figure it out. It's certianly why I gave up trying dance classes; never found a class that didn't leave me in the dust. It's one reason I like weight lifting; I can progress at my body's pace.
As for writing, sometimes I'll accept an idea about writing and my writing gets worse, temporarily, until my subsconscious absorbs it, too.
I think partly it's a matter of timing. It's not that thinking is bad; it's about when I do the thinking. When my partner and I are getting ready, I can think about what I want to do. Afterward, I can think about what worked and what didn't. It's the during that messes me up. I need to break myself of the habit of throwing one technique then stopping.
In theory, if I'm doing it wrong, either I'll figure it out after it fails miserably, or one of the black belts will help me to fix what I'm doing. In theory, at least.
But everyone's pace, process, and needs are different.
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As to writing, well, my current novel is a multi-headed octopus full of Stygian ink. No, really. I thought it was going well, and on some levels it is, but, well, you see, I thought I knew how to write until very recently.
Your analogy is my analogy.
Catherine
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I have no idea who said it, and I'm probably going to misquote, but I love the saying that we never learn how to write a novel. We only ever figure out how to write *this* novel...
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Writing is much the same way. The first couple of years I learned so much so quickly. Now it's the small adjustments, polishing the technique. It'll never end and frankly, I don't want it to or I'll get bored.
Green Dragon Emerges from Water, anyone?
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Ideally, each level of mastery in any field will open up new, bigger vistas of what you don't know. If it doesn't work that way, ur doin it rong.
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Actually, at 39, my knees bug me a lot. Not in a OMG, pain, sort of way, but a low grade soreness and stiffness. Have any advice on that?
Reply
If I take a class that involves learning a physical activity, it has to be with the understanding I will be the last guy to figure it out. It's certianly why I gave up trying dance classes; never found a class that didn't leave me in the dust. It's one reason I like weight lifting; I can progress at my body's pace.
As for writing, sometimes I'll accept an idea about writing and my writing gets worse, temporarily, until my subsconscious absorbs it, too.
Reply
In theory, if I'm doing it wrong, either I'll figure it out after it fails miserably, or one of the black belts will help me to fix what I'm doing. In theory, at least.
But everyone's pace, process, and needs are different.
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