While I can’t say that I was surprised by the advice Boice offered in these chapters, I still think it’s good advice. I can totally see why a lot of people would bristle at Boice’s seeming desiccation of the creative process. After all, artists are inspired right? We don’t think of them as habitual production machines who are both mindful and disciplined. Many people may be able to function well under periods of ‘divine madness’, but I’m certainly not one of them. I am someone for whom the process of writing produces a lot of anxiety, and its pretty much for the reasons Boice identifies. I don’t really have a sense of humor about it, I over identify with it, etc.
I do agree with Boice, if I could, I would be the type of writer he urges one to become. However, in my case this may only be possible with handy access to adderall and lorazepam.
One caveat I have with Boice is that I don’t think we are as transparent to ourselves as he indicates. I think that the detachment from self he urges is an illusion of sorts. I think that we can think we seem transparent to ourselves, but that this is always the site of a fundamental misrecognition. I’m not saying we can’t get in the zone (and I kinda agree with Boice here, I think the ‘zone’ is nothing but a period of low ego interference) but I’m skeptical of both parts of his approach and the idea of a limpid consciousness.
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