Charles Bukowski said, “Somebody at one of these places […] asked me: ‘What do you do? How do you write, create?’ You don’t, I told them. You don’t try. That’s very important: not to try, either for Cadillacs, creation or immortality. You wait, and if nothing happens, you wait some more. It’s like a bug high on the wall. You wait for it to come to you. When it gets close enough you reach out, slap out and kill it. Or, if you like its looks, you make a pet out of it.”
I’ve spent the week unplugged, untethered, and umbrella’d on the beach in North Carolina. I have Bukowski on my mind because this week I read his classic “Notes of a Dirty Old Man,” a collection of stories he wrote in the late 60s for an ongoing column in an LA underground newspaper.
The creative process is a magical phenomenon that I am always involved with. Sometimes it’s a grappling struggle, a mental and emotional fight to the death. Other times, it’s a beautiful waltz where each step is as mechanical as it is organic.
The wine-soaked, grizzled words of Bukowski resonate with me, not because I live in the underbelly he paints for us, nor because of the booze-forward beach vibes, but because he reminds us of the existence of the dark-shadowy side of life, which allows me to appreciate the light and optimistic side so much more.
You can’t appreciate the light, without the dark.
Even in the gloriously degenerate world of ol’ Hank (Bukowski fans know him as Hank in his tales), there is undeniable optimism in his advice to “don’t try.” Think about it. The inspiration to spark the imagination is everywhere, and every one of us who has created something from nothing, or changed how others think of a brand or product, or helped create a brand new category, knows there is no roadmap, nor does it start with trying to do it. It starts with giving ourselves space to think and dream, letting the mind wander, while filling it with lots of good and eclectic stuff.
Unplugging and giving yourself time away from screens and dreaming of a future state that doesn’t exist, unless you want to do the work necessary to create it, is the essence of “don’t try.” And if you’re fascinated by creativity, innovation, and the power of the human mind, like I am, you know the screen isn’t where the brilliance happens.
And let’s be modest, the future state can be anything that currently doesn’t exist. A bit of marketing copy, a design for a NASCAR car, a concept for an adventurous campaign, or something as simple as a new paint scheme for your bedroom. Time and space allow us to create, to be thoughtful, to be our best.
I’m grateful for the opportunity this week to not try. My creativity has been focused mainly on dad jokes, but metaphors to help explain complex concepts (yes, I can’t turn off my work brain) are always rolling around in my grey matter. But realize this opportunity to make space to create doesn’t just come during a week at the beach, even though this is a prime setting for me. We have time everyday to be mindful, and if we want to create and imagine, and be optimistic about our work and pursuits every day, we must do it.
In other words, we must try to not try.
