Unblog Yourself

According to most popular literature and media, you are supposed to strengthen your will so that you can create “whenever you want”. At a first glance this might sound good. It is true that will goes through levels of complexity as we grow; a two year-old’s will is rather differently expressed than most adults’.
I think most people struggle with the idea of “willing” one’s art though. Still, articles talk about attitudes, practices and tools, trying to make you more creative (like this blog for example…). This is an attempt to exercise or force your will.

There is some truth to the befits of those ideas, but I wanted to inquire a little more deeply into what will is. But what else is there than just seemingly forcing oneself into action?

Will is often portrayed as a kind of freedom-tool; you are not bound to circumstances; you can do what you want, providing your will is developed enough. Will, then feels like something outside of you that you have to master in order to keep yourself in control. I often hear about the “will to succeed”, to go for what you want, or even the will to be free or the will to love.

Sure. You have to sometimes “will yourself” to pay the bills and do the boring day to day stuff. I have to will myself in some ways to write this article. But we see then that will is actually not about freedom but about a kind of control:
We have a set goal; an agenda that is about one way, one path. Having goals is healthy, but it is interesting that we assume that stronger will (stronger boundaries) equals more freedom, when in fact it mostly refers to a very specific attitude.

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