The Art of Living a Meaningless Existence: Ideas from Philosophy That Change the Way You Think

by Robert Pantano

And it’s not as if writing, or filmmaking, or painting, or making music, or business, or whatever else must come easy to a writer or film maker or painter or musician or businessman in order for it to be the right thing or for them to be great at it. But it is likely, however, that if the pain and endurance of working through the process does not feel worth it, and you are not compelled to do it even in the face of rejection, hardship, or sacrifice, it is here where Bukowski might say don’t try. But if it does, if the thought of not doing the thing hurts more than the thought of potentially suffering through the process of it, if the thought of a life without it or never having tried it at all terrifies you, if it comes to you, through you, out of you, almost as if you’re not trying, perhaps Bukowski might say try, and “if you’re going to try, go all the way.”