Gavin Whyte's Blog, page 31
February 22, 2015
Being Birdman
Like a lot of people, I thought the film Birdman was great. Michael Keaton gave a fantastic performance. I thought the script was quirky and the way it was shot was very cleverly done.
What I wasn't expecting from the film was for it to be intertwined with aspects of spirituality... and blatantly so, too.
Michael Keaton's dressing room mirror had a little note on it saying, 'A thing is a thing, not what is said of that thing', which was exactly what I was getting at in my book The Girl with the Green-Tinted Hair. In one scene he goes and gives a critic an intense lecture about how much she and people like her suck. He holds up a rose and says something like, "You have no idea what this is, do you!"
It felt great to see such clear messages in a Hollywood movie.
Towards the end he says along the lines of, 'I don't even exist. I'm not even here,' (sorry I can't remember it word for word) and then goes on to shoot himself.
(I don't think I've given away too much...)
The reason I'm writing about this is that his realisation that he didn't exist should've been an enlightening experiencing. Only an unsteady mind would go on to try and terminate itself after having such an insight.
The truth of the matter is, in order to know who you are, you - that is, the you who you think you are - has to step aside and cease to be. Your whole personality, with all of its past and achievements, becomes transparent the moment you're truly Being. It sounds daunting and to some it will seem terrifying, but it's nothing but liberating.
I'm speaking from experience here. The thing is with me, I keep coming back and playing the role of Gavin Whyte.
Why, if it's so liberating, do I keep coming back to the little me who I think I am?
Because it's a habit.
It's the biggest habit I have and I'm forever going back and forth, back and forth, in and out of the game.
But I'm telling you, the moment you see through this habit of thinking that you know who you are, and playing the role that everybody knows and loves; when you become one without an identity, when you see that you are the silent witness, you will know in an instant who the real you is and you will be transformed.
A glimmer of light will have got in and you will not be able to turn your back on it from then on.
No drastic change in your external life has to happen, although, I bet you will be drawn to reading spiritual books and texts, and begin practicing meditation or other techniques that allow you to go within.
Not knowing who you are sounds scary to the habitual you because it feels like it needs it to survive in the world. But it doesn't. You will at once step back and see through the illusory you and see through all of that with which you once identified with.
You may laugh. You may cry with joy. You will at once be finally in love.
You will not put a gun to your head because you'll know that suicide is the ultimate waste of time. You will know that you're not your body, so destroying it isn't going to do a thing apart from get you a new ride. You will know this. It will all become clear.
Don't go looking for that which you are... look at what you're not.
Tick things off the list, one by one.
You will come to the conclusion that anything that you're aware of is not you.
Birdman has the subtitle The Unexpected Virtues of Ignorance. It points to the life we have lived for millenia. It's amazing to see what we have accomplished through not knowing. But our ignorance is still with us, causing us stress, depression, doubt, grief and fear. Only when our ignorance is diminished will we truly begin to see The Unexpected Virtues of Being, and our fear and the rest of our burdens will be lifted.
(Go and see Birdman... it's a treat).
Visit my Amazon's Author Central here
Source
What I wasn't expecting from the film was for it to be intertwined with aspects of spirituality... and blatantly so, too.
Michael Keaton's dressing room mirror had a little note on it saying, 'A thing is a thing, not what is said of that thing', which was exactly what I was getting at in my book The Girl with the Green-Tinted Hair. In one scene he goes and gives a critic an intense lecture about how much she and people like her suck. He holds up a rose and says something like, "You have no idea what this is, do you!"
It felt great to see such clear messages in a Hollywood movie.
Towards the end he says along the lines of, 'I don't even exist. I'm not even here,' (sorry I can't remember it word for word) and then goes on to shoot himself.
(I don't think I've given away too much...)
The reason I'm writing about this is that his realisation that he didn't exist should've been an enlightening experiencing. Only an unsteady mind would go on to try and terminate itself after having such an insight.
The truth of the matter is, in order to know who you are, you - that is, the you who you think you are - has to step aside and cease to be. Your whole personality, with all of its past and achievements, becomes transparent the moment you're truly Being. It sounds daunting and to some it will seem terrifying, but it's nothing but liberating.
I'm speaking from experience here. The thing is with me, I keep coming back and playing the role of Gavin Whyte.
Why, if it's so liberating, do I keep coming back to the little me who I think I am?
Because it's a habit.
It's the biggest habit I have and I'm forever going back and forth, back and forth, in and out of the game.
But I'm telling you, the moment you see through this habit of thinking that you know who you are, and playing the role that everybody knows and loves; when you become one without an identity, when you see that you are the silent witness, you will know in an instant who the real you is and you will be transformed.
A glimmer of light will have got in and you will not be able to turn your back on it from then on.
No drastic change in your external life has to happen, although, I bet you will be drawn to reading spiritual books and texts, and begin practicing meditation or other techniques that allow you to go within.
Not knowing who you are sounds scary to the habitual you because it feels like it needs it to survive in the world. But it doesn't. You will at once step back and see through the illusory you and see through all of that with which you once identified with.
You may laugh. You may cry with joy. You will at once be finally in love.
You will not put a gun to your head because you'll know that suicide is the ultimate waste of time. You will know that you're not your body, so destroying it isn't going to do a thing apart from get you a new ride. You will know this. It will all become clear.
Don't go looking for that which you are... look at what you're not.
Tick things off the list, one by one.
You will come to the conclusion that anything that you're aware of is not you.
Birdman has the subtitle The Unexpected Virtues of Ignorance. It points to the life we have lived for millenia. It's amazing to see what we have accomplished through not knowing. But our ignorance is still with us, causing us stress, depression, doubt, grief and fear. Only when our ignorance is diminished will we truly begin to see The Unexpected Virtues of Being, and our fear and the rest of our burdens will be lifted.
(Go and see Birdman... it's a treat).
Visit my Amazon's Author Central here
Source
February 17, 2015
Ebook News
OK, so for the past week I've been working my socks off to try and get the formatting sorted out on my ebooks. Not just that, but I've re-edited (in one case, nearly completely rewritten) my books, knocked down their price and changed the front covers.I've been uploading versions of the books to Amazon KDP over and over again to try and get the formatting sorted out.I think (hope) I've got it sussed now.So, that being said, my books are now available for the Amazon Kindle at 99p each ($1.49).The books are:1. Waiting for Wings2. The Girl with the Green-Tinted Hair3. Happiness & Honey
The last two are fables with no more than 20,000 words combined - but they're aimed to pack a punch.I'm in the process of getting my website updated, too, so bear with me.If you download any of my books I hope you enjoy them and you get something meaningful out of them.Also, could you do me a favour? If you spot any issues (even if it's just the odd typo or it looks poor on your screen) please let me know.You can contact me at contact@gavinwhyte.co.uk
My books can be bought here.Thank you.www.gavinwhyte.co.uk
Source
The last two are fables with no more than 20,000 words combined - but they're aimed to pack a punch.I'm in the process of getting my website updated, too, so bear with me.If you download any of my books I hope you enjoy them and you get something meaningful out of them.Also, could you do me a favour? If you spot any issues (even if it's just the odd typo or it looks poor on your screen) please let me know.You can contact me at contact@gavinwhyte.co.uk
My books can be bought here.Thank you.www.gavinwhyte.co.uk
Source
February 14, 2015
Writing, Rejection and Romance
Asking a girl out... could anything be more terrifying?
Growing up was a nightmare. While my mates were proudly losing their virginities, I was 'happy' (as I called it then) to remain single.
"I don't have time for a girlfriend," was my excuse for forever being single.
To be fair to myself, I was actually super busy trying to make it in the world of music. I was seriously motivated to make something of myself...
... at age 16.
On nights out as my buddies played tonsil tennis with anything without a penis, I was playing slam and it was making me gag.
Even when a girl approached me, my heart would suddenly start doing the River Dance.
And Flately, my dear, I did give a damn. (A.P).
My hands would sweat until I could no longer hold the beer, which then resulted in a severe case of dry mouth.
Not my best memories of adolescence, to say the least.
But I've gotten over all of that now... thankfully... finally... at age 32... and after all the turmoil I can look back and see what I feared the most.
Rejection.
R-Rated Rejection.
And here's what I figured out: It was the thought [the fear] of being rejected that filled me with dread.
There's nothing like the fear of something happening to prevent the thing you fear from happening, happening!
Rejection happens... especially when you're in the arts, such as writing.
There're people who will not even attempt to write a book, a short story, or a poem, simply because they already have rejection, that is, the fear of rejection, firmly placed at the forefront of their minds. Therefore their creative outlet remains trapped and unexplored, and sadly unexpressed. Voiceless.
(Note: Be aware of those who criticise you for putting yourself out there... are they the ones who don't or refuse to put themselves out there? Pay careful attention to this.)
Has it ever occurred to you that rejection could feel good?
It all boils down to your perception.
I was massively inspired by The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.
Pressfield says that getting rejection proves that you're in the ring. You're fighting for what you believe in. Therefore, all that matters is that you get back up again for another round. Those who don't get knocked down are those who are out of the ring, because they're scared of breaking a nail.
I made music for nearly a decade. During that time I learnt so much about how to handle rejection. I sent off countless demo CDs, all with the hope of getting signed. Did I hear back from any of the labels? Does the Pope go trick or treating?
(A friend heard one of our tracks being played on the radio. The DJ was a recording artist and it was his label that picked us up.)
Having said all of that, I thought you might like to look at a rejection letter I recently received from a literary agent:
Dear Gavin,
Thank you very much for submitting your material to us. Our agents have now had a chance to look at it and we are sorry to say we don’t feel that we can offer you representation. Because of the high volume of submissions we receive, unfortunately we are not able to give you more detailed feedback than this. However, these things are very subjective and someone else may well feel differently about your work.
Thank you again for letting us take a look at your material, and we wish you the best of luck in finding an agent and publisher.
Best wishes,
If you're a writer then expect something similar, that is, if you've got past the fear of receiving it. But it's not all that bad, really, is it? It's a part of your journey that you're going to have to learn to embrace.
So go on, send off that manuscript, upload that story, send off the script, enter the poem, pick up the paint brush... or even ask you know who out for a drink.
Ding! Ding! Round 2!
www.gavinwhyte.co.uk
Source
Growing up was a nightmare. While my mates were proudly losing their virginities, I was 'happy' (as I called it then) to remain single.
"I don't have time for a girlfriend," was my excuse for forever being single.
To be fair to myself, I was actually super busy trying to make it in the world of music. I was seriously motivated to make something of myself...
... at age 16.
On nights out as my buddies played tonsil tennis with anything without a penis, I was playing slam and it was making me gag.
Even when a girl approached me, my heart would suddenly start doing the River Dance.
And Flately, my dear, I did give a damn. (A.P).
My hands would sweat until I could no longer hold the beer, which then resulted in a severe case of dry mouth.
Not my best memories of adolescence, to say the least.
But I've gotten over all of that now... thankfully... finally... at age 32... and after all the turmoil I can look back and see what I feared the most.
Rejection.
R-Rated Rejection.
And here's what I figured out: It was the thought [the fear] of being rejected that filled me with dread.
There's nothing like the fear of something happening to prevent the thing you fear from happening, happening!
Rejection happens... especially when you're in the arts, such as writing.
There're people who will not even attempt to write a book, a short story, or a poem, simply because they already have rejection, that is, the fear of rejection, firmly placed at the forefront of their minds. Therefore their creative outlet remains trapped and unexplored, and sadly unexpressed. Voiceless.
(Note: Be aware of those who criticise you for putting yourself out there... are they the ones who don't or refuse to put themselves out there? Pay careful attention to this.)
Has it ever occurred to you that rejection could feel good?
It all boils down to your perception.
I was massively inspired by The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.
Pressfield says that getting rejection proves that you're in the ring. You're fighting for what you believe in. Therefore, all that matters is that you get back up again for another round. Those who don't get knocked down are those who are out of the ring, because they're scared of breaking a nail.
I made music for nearly a decade. During that time I learnt so much about how to handle rejection. I sent off countless demo CDs, all with the hope of getting signed. Did I hear back from any of the labels? Does the Pope go trick or treating?
(A friend heard one of our tracks being played on the radio. The DJ was a recording artist and it was his label that picked us up.)
Having said all of that, I thought you might like to look at a rejection letter I recently received from a literary agent:
Dear Gavin,
Thank you very much for submitting your material to us. Our agents have now had a chance to look at it and we are sorry to say we don’t feel that we can offer you representation. Because of the high volume of submissions we receive, unfortunately we are not able to give you more detailed feedback than this. However, these things are very subjective and someone else may well feel differently about your work.
Thank you again for letting us take a look at your material, and we wish you the best of luck in finding an agent and publisher.
Best wishes,
If you're a writer then expect something similar, that is, if you've got past the fear of receiving it. But it's not all that bad, really, is it? It's a part of your journey that you're going to have to learn to embrace.
So go on, send off that manuscript, upload that story, send off the script, enter the poem, pick up the paint brush... or even ask you know who out for a drink.
Ding! Ding! Round 2!
www.gavinwhyte.co.uk
Source
February 10, 2015
Spring Clean
Is it sad that I like doing simple chores, such as the dishes, vacuuming and dusting? I even enjoy putting the wet clothes out to dry.
I'm sure it's not only me that gets instant gratification from these menial tasks.
(Is it?)
Doing such things allows me to practice mindfulness. They are in their very nature simple tasks (if you're physically able and well, that is) so it gives you the chance to focus on the minute movements of your body. You can follow your breath more easily, too. You can see thoughts as they come and go and bring yourself back to the task when you've noticed you've been led astray.
I'm now going through a form of spring cleaning with all aspects of my books.
Expect to see some inconsistencies surrounding prices, front covers, descriptions and sometimes even content.
Unfortunately it's not as simple as washing a few pots and pans, but it needs to be done.
And I know I'll feel instant gratification when I've finished.
www.gavinwhyte.co.uk
Source
I'm sure it's not only me that gets instant gratification from these menial tasks.
(Is it?)
Doing such things allows me to practice mindfulness. They are in their very nature simple tasks (if you're physically able and well, that is) so it gives you the chance to focus on the minute movements of your body. You can follow your breath more easily, too. You can see thoughts as they come and go and bring yourself back to the task when you've noticed you've been led astray.
I'm now going through a form of spring cleaning with all aspects of my books.
Expect to see some inconsistencies surrounding prices, front covers, descriptions and sometimes even content.
Unfortunately it's not as simple as washing a few pots and pans, but it needs to be done.
And I know I'll feel instant gratification when I've finished.
www.gavinwhyte.co.uk
Source
February 8, 2015
Monkey See, Monkey Do
A friend of mine was visiting Taipei this week and asked if I was free for a coffee.
We first met in Okinawa, last November. After a brief discussion, we learnt we were both writers. He was working on a non-fiction piece, and I, fiction.
It's always good to see how other writers work. I would often see him when he got back to the hostel, laptop under his arm, with a look of achievement on his face.
I would ask him how many words he had done and his reply would be anything from 3000 up.
Until very recently, I had always harboured the feeling that the term 'self-published' carried a sense of failure with it. I don't think I was aware of this, mind. It only occurred to me after the aforementioned coffee.
Publishing your own work was the road you went down if you couldn't get the attention of a publisher and/or agent. Therefore your work wasn't good enough to sell. I'm sure I'm not alone with this view. Chances are, the majority of people still hold this view when they see or hear self-published author.
But the difference being is, I am a self-published author and I still held this view.
(Get the start gun and shoot yourself in the foot, Gav, why don't you.)
I remember when I was making music and I refused to download albums, because, well, it was a sin.
It my mind it was disgusting - yes, that's right, disgusting.
Why on earth would you want to download a dirty FILE when you can have a CD and an album sleeve and all that?
I just couldn't/wouldn't adapt.
Now I don't think twice about downloading an album from iTunes.
Look how much I've grown!
(I still don't download music illegally... for one; I don't know how, and two; expressing yourself is hard, whatever your medium is. By paying for the artist's work, I feel like it's giving something back to them; a little bit of gratitude for their dedication to their craft.)
And here's the thing... people still buy CDs! There are some who are adamant that vinyl is still the best sound source available!
Vinyl!
And I don't doubt them... get a great needle and all the rest and I bet the sound quality is amazing. My point is, even though it's legal to download music, and the majority of people nowadays are doing just that, CDs and vinyl are still living and breathing amongst us.
With that in mind, let's get back to meeting my friend for a coffee... (whose website is moritzdressel.com) I told him I had just finished my new novel and I was in the process of sending it out to agents. It had already been rejected by one agent... so naturally I had instantly sent it off to another. I won't forget the look he gave me (the exact same look I would've received if I had turned up wearing a tank top that said I Love Taiwan on it), which was then followed up by a deep, 'Why?'
'Why what?' I said.
'Why are you sending it off to an agent?'
'You know, I just thought I'd go down the 'proper road' (I actually said "proper road"), and try and get an agent, and then for them to get me a publisher, and then for my book to be given a chance in the world.'
'But why?' he persisted.
'Erm...'
'You don't need a publisher,' he said. 'You can do it yourself.'
He had mentioned this to me the first time we had met. He went on to tell me the title of a book to buy that he was sure would sell the self-published way to me. The book was APE by Kawasaki & Welch.
But I didn't listen. Or I should say: I put the title on the high shelf of my mind, forgot about it, and continued to work on my novel, and then went looking for a publisher and agent once I was happy with it (a creature of stubbornness and habit, I admit).
Baring in mind that I was already a self-published author, I lacked all faith in it. Three of my books were (are) sat there doing nothing - gathering metaphysical dust. What a shame! Not only did I lack faith in The Way of the eBook, but my attitude towards it showed lack of respect and faith in my own, already published books. What a bigger shame!!
Now here's my mate, telling me once again, 'You don't need a publisher, do it yourself.'
This time I listened.
And I feel driven, to say the least.
I've just finished reading a book called Be the Monkey by authors Barry Eisler & Joe Konrath (that actually inspired the book APE that I mentioned above). I highly recommend it if you're thinking of going down the self-published route.
My attitude towards downloading music was the same regarding downloading books. I love paperbacks. One of the very joys of reading a book comes from holding it (or is that just me?). You just don't get that same comfort from an eReader (plus, they don't smell the same as a book. Wait, you mean you've never smelt a page before? No? Well... this is a tad awkward).
But I love my Kindle! Having come to Taiwan, it has been a huge blessing. I now have nearly 200 books on that little bad boy and they all fit in my hand.
I've adapted now. Buying books on the Kindle is so convenient. So quick. So easy. And surprisingly it hasn't taken any of the joys out of reading. To be fair, if I prefer the physical aspects of reading a paperback more than I do the book (the book being the story), then chances are it's not a good book.
Eisler and Konrath point out that eBooks will not kill paperbacks. That chances are, like vinyl, paperbacks will become a niche and people will still be saying, "You can't beat a good paperback," yet they'll have hundreds of eBooks waiting on their eReader to be read (because it's so damn easy to click Buy!).
My approach to being a self-published author is going through a revolution. I can feel it.
It's time to take things to the next step, and that requires me to get a little bit more serious about what I want and expect as a writer.
www.gavinwhyte.co.uk
Source
We first met in Okinawa, last November. After a brief discussion, we learnt we were both writers. He was working on a non-fiction piece, and I, fiction.
It's always good to see how other writers work. I would often see him when he got back to the hostel, laptop under his arm, with a look of achievement on his face.
I would ask him how many words he had done and his reply would be anything from 3000 up.
Until very recently, I had always harboured the feeling that the term 'self-published' carried a sense of failure with it. I don't think I was aware of this, mind. It only occurred to me after the aforementioned coffee.
Publishing your own work was the road you went down if you couldn't get the attention of a publisher and/or agent. Therefore your work wasn't good enough to sell. I'm sure I'm not alone with this view. Chances are, the majority of people still hold this view when they see or hear self-published author.
But the difference being is, I am a self-published author and I still held this view.
(Get the start gun and shoot yourself in the foot, Gav, why don't you.)
I remember when I was making music and I refused to download albums, because, well, it was a sin.
It my mind it was disgusting - yes, that's right, disgusting.
Why on earth would you want to download a dirty FILE when you can have a CD and an album sleeve and all that?
I just couldn't/wouldn't adapt.
Now I don't think twice about downloading an album from iTunes.
Look how much I've grown!
(I still don't download music illegally... for one; I don't know how, and two; expressing yourself is hard, whatever your medium is. By paying for the artist's work, I feel like it's giving something back to them; a little bit of gratitude for their dedication to their craft.)
And here's the thing... people still buy CDs! There are some who are adamant that vinyl is still the best sound source available!
Vinyl!
And I don't doubt them... get a great needle and all the rest and I bet the sound quality is amazing. My point is, even though it's legal to download music, and the majority of people nowadays are doing just that, CDs and vinyl are still living and breathing amongst us.
With that in mind, let's get back to meeting my friend for a coffee... (whose website is moritzdressel.com) I told him I had just finished my new novel and I was in the process of sending it out to agents. It had already been rejected by one agent... so naturally I had instantly sent it off to another. I won't forget the look he gave me (the exact same look I would've received if I had turned up wearing a tank top that said I Love Taiwan on it), which was then followed up by a deep, 'Why?'
'Why what?' I said.
'Why are you sending it off to an agent?'
'You know, I just thought I'd go down the 'proper road' (I actually said "proper road"), and try and get an agent, and then for them to get me a publisher, and then for my book to be given a chance in the world.'
'But why?' he persisted.
'Erm...'
'You don't need a publisher,' he said. 'You can do it yourself.'
He had mentioned this to me the first time we had met. He went on to tell me the title of a book to buy that he was sure would sell the self-published way to me. The book was APE by Kawasaki & Welch.
But I didn't listen. Or I should say: I put the title on the high shelf of my mind, forgot about it, and continued to work on my novel, and then went looking for a publisher and agent once I was happy with it (a creature of stubbornness and habit, I admit).
Baring in mind that I was already a self-published author, I lacked all faith in it. Three of my books were (are) sat there doing nothing - gathering metaphysical dust. What a shame! Not only did I lack faith in The Way of the eBook, but my attitude towards it showed lack of respect and faith in my own, already published books. What a bigger shame!!
Now here's my mate, telling me once again, 'You don't need a publisher, do it yourself.'
This time I listened.
And I feel driven, to say the least.
I've just finished reading a book called Be the Monkey by authors Barry Eisler & Joe Konrath (that actually inspired the book APE that I mentioned above). I highly recommend it if you're thinking of going down the self-published route.
My attitude towards downloading music was the same regarding downloading books. I love paperbacks. One of the very joys of reading a book comes from holding it (or is that just me?). You just don't get that same comfort from an eReader (plus, they don't smell the same as a book. Wait, you mean you've never smelt a page before? No? Well... this is a tad awkward).
But I love my Kindle! Having come to Taiwan, it has been a huge blessing. I now have nearly 200 books on that little bad boy and they all fit in my hand.
I've adapted now. Buying books on the Kindle is so convenient. So quick. So easy. And surprisingly it hasn't taken any of the joys out of reading. To be fair, if I prefer the physical aspects of reading a paperback more than I do the book (the book being the story), then chances are it's not a good book.
Eisler and Konrath point out that eBooks will not kill paperbacks. That chances are, like vinyl, paperbacks will become a niche and people will still be saying, "You can't beat a good paperback," yet they'll have hundreds of eBooks waiting on their eReader to be read (because it's so damn easy to click Buy!).
My approach to being a self-published author is going through a revolution. I can feel it.
It's time to take things to the next step, and that requires me to get a little bit more serious about what I want and expect as a writer.
www.gavinwhyte.co.uk
Source
February 5, 2015
Keeping Busy
I've been disciplining myself to finish my new novel... hence the reason why I haven't written on here for the past four months or so.
I don't know about other writers, but I'm inundated with unfinished ideas. Or, to be more precise, the ideas are complete as they are, but they're not fully expressed into what we call a fully fledged story.
In 2013 I booked myself into a small cottage in North Yorkshire, UK, with the simple mission to write, write and write.
It's not a simple mission...
I realised that going about the writing process hell for leather isn't the way for me. I burn myself out and the stuff I end up writing just starts to feel spiritless and tired of itself. So other than writing, my time was spent, reading, watching films and going for walks.
It was great... I had a blast.
Highly recommended.
I managed to develop one of those unfinished ideas I mentioned by adding to it an extra 20,000 words. Then, when I returned home, the ideas dried up and the idea, which now sat at a comfortable 30,000 words, came to an abrupt stop.
Whatatodo!?
An ideas has a life of its own. It will be expressed when it is ready to be expressed. Maybe it's waiting for you to go through an experience so you turn into a worthy medium for its completion.
We do not choose ideas, they choose us. Watch yourself closely and you will see what I mean.
That said, this specific idea was brought back into my awareness when I came to Taiwan. I had forgotten about it, and was going about the groggy affair of looking through all of my unfinished stories (WARNING: TO AVOID PAIN, DON'T DO THIS WHEN YOU'RE FEELING UNINSPIRED).
I read and re-read the whole thing several times and decided to re-write it. It might sound like a daunting task, and if the instruction had come from, say, a publisher, and I didn't agree with them, then re-writing it would've been like a wisdom tooth removal, but the decision came from me, and because of that I really didn't have choice - artistic integrity and all...
If you're a creative person, you will know what it's like. If something doesn't feel right then you go about correcting it. The idea is your baby. It's a part of you. Unconditionally, you just do whatever it takes to bring it into this world, even if it means you're left kicking and screaming, covered in blood and other undesirable body fluids.
Plus, the idea doesn't leave you alone until it's out and about anyway! So you either do it or go insane.
So, to come full circle, that's what I've been doing for the past several months; preventing myself from going insane. That, plus learning Chinese, reading, meditating, visiting Bangkok and Okinawa, eating good food, drinking good coffee, and watching ancient people in the park, practicing Tai Chi and Chi Gong, which is always a pleasure to watch.
www.gavinwhyte.co.uk
I don't know about other writers, but I'm inundated with unfinished ideas. Or, to be more precise, the ideas are complete as they are, but they're not fully expressed into what we call a fully fledged story.
In 2013 I booked myself into a small cottage in North Yorkshire, UK, with the simple mission to write, write and write.
It's not a simple mission...
I realised that going about the writing process hell for leather isn't the way for me. I burn myself out and the stuff I end up writing just starts to feel spiritless and tired of itself. So other than writing, my time was spent, reading, watching films and going for walks.
It was great... I had a blast.
Highly recommended.
I managed to develop one of those unfinished ideas I mentioned by adding to it an extra 20,000 words. Then, when I returned home, the ideas dried up and the idea, which now sat at a comfortable 30,000 words, came to an abrupt stop.
Whatatodo!?
An ideas has a life of its own. It will be expressed when it is ready to be expressed. Maybe it's waiting for you to go through an experience so you turn into a worthy medium for its completion.
We do not choose ideas, they choose us. Watch yourself closely and you will see what I mean.
That said, this specific idea was brought back into my awareness when I came to Taiwan. I had forgotten about it, and was going about the groggy affair of looking through all of my unfinished stories (WARNING: TO AVOID PAIN, DON'T DO THIS WHEN YOU'RE FEELING UNINSPIRED).
I read and re-read the whole thing several times and decided to re-write it. It might sound like a daunting task, and if the instruction had come from, say, a publisher, and I didn't agree with them, then re-writing it would've been like a wisdom tooth removal, but the decision came from me, and because of that I really didn't have choice - artistic integrity and all...
If you're a creative person, you will know what it's like. If something doesn't feel right then you go about correcting it. The idea is your baby. It's a part of you. Unconditionally, you just do whatever it takes to bring it into this world, even if it means you're left kicking and screaming, covered in blood and other undesirable body fluids.
Plus, the idea doesn't leave you alone until it's out and about anyway! So you either do it or go insane.
So, to come full circle, that's what I've been doing for the past several months; preventing myself from going insane. That, plus learning Chinese, reading, meditating, visiting Bangkok and Okinawa, eating good food, drinking good coffee, and watching ancient people in the park, practicing Tai Chi and Chi Gong, which is always a pleasure to watch.
www.gavinwhyte.co.uk
November 2, 2014
Reading The Book that so many have read.
So I've done it...
At 31 years old I've started to read the book that I've heard so much about.
With my personal library mainly consisting of books on spirituality, new age thought, life after death, psychology and eastern philosophy and religion, the book I've started to read has been quoted countless times throughout.
I found myself asking questions like...
Why has it been quoted so much?
Why have so many people read it?
Why do so many people live their lives by it?
Why do people say it's the only book you will ever have to read?
What makes the stories it contains so profound?
Why do so many people take the stories as truth?
Why have people killed in its name?
Is this book really the key to heaven and the way to escape burning for eternity in the fires of hell?
Funnily enough, despite the overwhelming seriousness of the latter, what was more important for me was why people kept on saying that my work reminds them of the book's core values, even though I've never read it, nor am I religious?
When I moved to Taiwan, I only brought with me a handful of books. One of them was this one.
The bible.
Now, it's a chunky read, so I'm going to be reading other books alongside it.
But anyhow, here I go.
(Just read the bit about circumcision... hmm... if the next time you see me I look in pain, you know why.)
www.gavinwhyte.co.uk
Source
At 31 years old I've started to read the book that I've heard so much about.
With my personal library mainly consisting of books on spirituality, new age thought, life after death, psychology and eastern philosophy and religion, the book I've started to read has been quoted countless times throughout.
I found myself asking questions like...
Why has it been quoted so much?
Why have so many people read it?
Why do so many people live their lives by it?
Why do people say it's the only book you will ever have to read?
What makes the stories it contains so profound?
Why do so many people take the stories as truth?
Why have people killed in its name?
Is this book really the key to heaven and the way to escape burning for eternity in the fires of hell?
Funnily enough, despite the overwhelming seriousness of the latter, what was more important for me was why people kept on saying that my work reminds them of the book's core values, even though I've never read it, nor am I religious?
When I moved to Taiwan, I only brought with me a handful of books. One of them was this one.
The bible.
Now, it's a chunky read, so I'm going to be reading other books alongside it.
But anyhow, here I go.
(Just read the bit about circumcision... hmm... if the next time you see me I look in pain, you know why.)
www.gavinwhyte.co.uk
Source
October 11, 2014
You Deserve the Best
"... I finally understand my right to chooseMy preacher man told me it could always be worse
Even the three-legged dog still got three good legs to lose
So you can stop and refresh the rules
Breathe in, breathe out, let it heal all your exit wounds
Something inside said that's the move
and maybe today, I'll start fresh and new."
These are the lyrics I woke up with this morning running through my mind. They're from the 'The Day' by The Roots.
You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS88j...
As always, when I wake up with lyrics in my head it means that my subconscious mind is trying to tell me something. It can be a song I haven't heard for many years, yet the lyrics are present when I open my eyes. They're loud and clear as if the song had been played to me in my sleep. My subconscious mind knows that I love music and it uses it as a tool to communicate with me, knowing farewell that I'll listen.
So what do these lyrics mean for me?
They act as a reminder that my feelings are there to be trusted. They act as a reminder that they're guiding me, free of charge, if only I invest in them my trust. My subconscious mind is telling me that it's using my feelings as a way to help me move forward. They can get me out of any rut that I face - and so far they have never once failed.
This time, they relate to an area in my life that has been nagging me for a couple of weeks. Now that I've been reminded of "my right to choose" I know that I only have to be in that situation for as long as I choose to be.
And that's massively empowering, especially when I've been assuming that there's no way out.
I asked myself a simple question: If I was to die within the next two days, do I want to be feeling like this for the rest of my life?
The obvious answer was a very blunt no.
So I did something about it.
Source
I urge you to trust that which is innate within you.
It deserves your attention and trust.
And you deserve it's guidance and assurance.
Learn to listen and distinguish the difference between your head and your heart.
Your head will tell you, with a voice soaked in fear, that something can't be done, and will even come up with reasons to back it up.
If you listen to this voice and give it time and attention, life will present you with evidence (undesirable circumstances, difficult situations) that this voice was the gospel truth.
And with conviction you will say to yourself and others, 'You see... I told you life was hard. I told you that nothing good ever happens to me.'
You might even be labelled unlucky or unfortunate by some, and there will be a part of you that kind of likes that because it proves that you were right.
And who doesn't like being right about their own life?
As long as you maintain this pattern of mental behaviour, you will see evidence for it in your life.
Yet it's all down to how you managed your attention.
The inner, that which is unseen, is reflected on the outer, which is seen... the outer being a manifested state of the inner.
Plant the seed of a rose and only a fool expects an apple tree to spring forth from the soil.
Your heart, on the other hand, will cradle your head and tell it not to worry, that everything is going to be OK. Your heart, with a soothing voice, will say, 'Trust in me. I am the way.'
If it sounds a bit like God to you, it's because it is.
It's because you are.
It is your I Am.
If that makes you feel a bit uncomfortable, then change the three lettered word with a word like Life.
They're two fingers pointing at the same star.
Source
Your heart beats to the rhythm of the entire universe.
It deserves your respect.
Feelings of fear (not to be confused with nervousness or mild anxiety) - those that come with a certain heaviness to them - spring from your head and are due to a lack of trust and, ultimately, ignorance.
These thoughts should not be given a second one.
Feelings of warmth and hope - those that come with a certain lightness to them - those that 'feel right', come from your heart; a deeper part of yourself that knows you and knows what is best for you.
For these thoughts and feelings, there is no such thing as too much attention.
You deserve the best.
Change your thoughts and expectations to those that make you feel safe and reassuring.
You deserve the best.
Change your thoughts and expectations to those that put a smile on your heart - it can be sensed by others.
You deserve the best.
Change your thoughts and expectations to those that help you perceive others in a loving light.
You deserve the best.
Change your thoughts and expectations to those that fill you with hope and inspiration.
You deserve the best.
Change your thoughts and expectations to those that help you see every moment as a reason to celebrate.
You deserve the best.
Change your thoughts and expectations to those that fill you with love; first for yourself and then for others - this is not being selfish.
You deserve the best.
Change your thoughts and expectations to those that give you energy, enthusiasm and a burning passion for living.
You deserve the best.
Change your thoughts and expectations to truly exercise your free will.
You deserve the best.
You really do.
Source
Even the three-legged dog still got three good legs to lose
So you can stop and refresh the rules
Breathe in, breathe out, let it heal all your exit wounds
Something inside said that's the move
and maybe today, I'll start fresh and new."
These are the lyrics I woke up with this morning running through my mind. They're from the 'The Day' by The Roots.
You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS88j...
As always, when I wake up with lyrics in my head it means that my subconscious mind is trying to tell me something. It can be a song I haven't heard for many years, yet the lyrics are present when I open my eyes. They're loud and clear as if the song had been played to me in my sleep. My subconscious mind knows that I love music and it uses it as a tool to communicate with me, knowing farewell that I'll listen.
So what do these lyrics mean for me?
They act as a reminder that my feelings are there to be trusted. They act as a reminder that they're guiding me, free of charge, if only I invest in them my trust. My subconscious mind is telling me that it's using my feelings as a way to help me move forward. They can get me out of any rut that I face - and so far they have never once failed.
This time, they relate to an area in my life that has been nagging me for a couple of weeks. Now that I've been reminded of "my right to choose" I know that I only have to be in that situation for as long as I choose to be.
And that's massively empowering, especially when I've been assuming that there's no way out.
I asked myself a simple question: If I was to die within the next two days, do I want to be feeling like this for the rest of my life?
The obvious answer was a very blunt no.
So I did something about it.
SourceI urge you to trust that which is innate within you.
It deserves your attention and trust.
And you deserve it's guidance and assurance.
Learn to listen and distinguish the difference between your head and your heart.
Your head will tell you, with a voice soaked in fear, that something can't be done, and will even come up with reasons to back it up.
If you listen to this voice and give it time and attention, life will present you with evidence (undesirable circumstances, difficult situations) that this voice was the gospel truth.
And with conviction you will say to yourself and others, 'You see... I told you life was hard. I told you that nothing good ever happens to me.'
You might even be labelled unlucky or unfortunate by some, and there will be a part of you that kind of likes that because it proves that you were right.
And who doesn't like being right about their own life?
As long as you maintain this pattern of mental behaviour, you will see evidence for it in your life.
Yet it's all down to how you managed your attention.
The inner, that which is unseen, is reflected on the outer, which is seen... the outer being a manifested state of the inner.
Plant the seed of a rose and only a fool expects an apple tree to spring forth from the soil.
Your heart, on the other hand, will cradle your head and tell it not to worry, that everything is going to be OK. Your heart, with a soothing voice, will say, 'Trust in me. I am the way.'
If it sounds a bit like God to you, it's because it is.
It's because you are.
It is your I Am.
If that makes you feel a bit uncomfortable, then change the three lettered word with a word like Life.
They're two fingers pointing at the same star.
SourceYour heart beats to the rhythm of the entire universe.
It deserves your respect.
Feelings of fear (not to be confused with nervousness or mild anxiety) - those that come with a certain heaviness to them - spring from your head and are due to a lack of trust and, ultimately, ignorance.
These thoughts should not be given a second one.
Feelings of warmth and hope - those that come with a certain lightness to them - those that 'feel right', come from your heart; a deeper part of yourself that knows you and knows what is best for you.
For these thoughts and feelings, there is no such thing as too much attention.
You deserve the best.
Change your thoughts and expectations to those that make you feel safe and reassuring.
You deserve the best.
Change your thoughts and expectations to those that put a smile on your heart - it can be sensed by others.
You deserve the best.
Change your thoughts and expectations to those that help you perceive others in a loving light.
You deserve the best.
Change your thoughts and expectations to those that fill you with hope and inspiration.
You deserve the best.
Change your thoughts and expectations to those that help you see every moment as a reason to celebrate.
You deserve the best.
Change your thoughts and expectations to those that fill you with love; first for yourself and then for others - this is not being selfish.
You deserve the best.
Change your thoughts and expectations to those that give you energy, enthusiasm and a burning passion for living.
You deserve the best.
Change your thoughts and expectations to truly exercise your free will.
You deserve the best.
You really do.
SourceSeptember 28, 2014
Today I saw a big pig sleeping at the side of the road
Moving on...
Whenever I thought of Chinese students I always pictured them working their arses off.
And usually not by their own doing.
I always imagined their teachers (or masters) to be super strict, standing at the front of the class with a bamboo cane, punishing below average students by making them do the horse-stance over an incense stick for an hour; with cups of hot tea resting on their head, shoulders, knees and toes.
Or maybe it was all the martial arts films I had watched having a bigger influence on me than I thought.
As my Taiwanese girlfriend bluntly said, 'It's not like that... and what's a horse-stance?'
So now I find myself being a student in Taiwan and I can say from experience that my teacher doesn't have a bamboo cane (at least, I don't think she does...) and so far I've been obedient enough not to have an incense stick blowing smoke up where the sun doesn't shine. But having said that, I can honestly say that the expectations the teachers have of their students are far greater than in the west.
For instance, I've just finished my fourth week at Uni. In total, my class have been given over 100 Chinese traditional characters to learn (that includes reading and writing them). We also have to learn the pinyin and the tones to go with the pinyin (whilst knowing which letters the tones go above).
I don't know, maybe it's just me being a weak westerner, but to my mind that's a lot of stuff to remember!
I got talking to a local the other day whilst waiting for the bin collection. As the sound of the bin truck got louder and louder (it sounds like an ice-cream man's rendition of a Beethoven's piece) the old man said something to me in Chinese, to which I replied (in Chinese) 'I'm sorry, I don't understand.'
He smiled and said, 'Oh, sorry, are you enjoying Taiwan?'
Now, this hardly ever happens! I was so shocked that I laughed.
'You speak really good English,' I said.
He smiled and said that he had studied in Edinburgh many years ago.
We got talking about this and that when I added that I was studying at Shida.
'Ah yes, a great university,' said my new friend. 'Chinese is hard to write, don't you think?'
Damn right! The fact that it was a local saying this comforted me somewhat because, let me tell you, Chinese characters are beautiful, yes, but incredibly intricate. And there's an order to the strokes too, something that you have to stick to because Taiwanese people know when you've done it the wrong way (or at least my girlfriend does...).
The other night it took me 2.5 hours to complete a set of questions on a single side of A4. And this wasn't just me... a few of my classmates said the same.
So let's get back to the workload:
- Daily class
- Up to 20 hours a month of additional study
- Homework
- Revision for 3 tests a week.
It's like having a full-time job that you take home with you.
Having grumbled all of that, I want to say that the eastern approach might be tough, but I think it could be having the desired affect.
Yesterday, my girlfriend introduced me to a new cafe for us to study in. As we approached the cafe she pointed to the sign and asked me to read it. I felt daunted at the simple task until she said, 'You've gone through these words in class'. When I looked closer at the sign, I realised that I had indeed studied the characters, it's just that they were in a funky font.
I felt a wave of pride come up through my chest as I read out loud 喝個咖啡吧!
And she, like a proud parent, nodded and smiled.
Bearing in mind that I was on the verge of carrying out a self-fulfilling prophecy, that I was indeed useless at languages, I have now been given a bit of faith, not only in myself but in the human race and our ability to learn.
If I can begin to read, write and speak Chinese in several weeks (very little, I might add, but little is still some) then this tells me that our ability to learn is virtually unlimited. All that's needed is an incentive to learn; that then provides the motivation and that then provides the results (mix in there time and patience and you're golden).
It could be boiled down to this: If you want to learn, you will.
If you want your mind to absorb new information, it will.
A tea drinking, bamboo wielding master isn't necessary.
Right, back to my studying... test tomorrow.
再見!!
Sourcewww.gavinwhyte.co.uk
