My basic personality is an Enneagram 4 wing 5. If you have done the Enneagram Test you will know what I mean.
The Enneagram unmasks our Basic Fears and Motivations and for me, when I’m feeling insecure or in need of understanding I can see what’s motivating my fears.
The biggest thing I wrestle with is not identity, I know who I am, but significance. I wrestle with that word, not identity, or ability - I can write a good yarn. But significance, that damn word, yes, I fear my work will, does, lack significance. I continue to write in the hope that at some point my work will have that precious thing called significance. It no longer terrorises me, but it is that proverbial demon whispering in my ear, “Insignificant, Insignificant, Insignificant.”
What do you wrestle with? What are your basic fears as a writer?
EnneaThought® for the DayType Four EnneaThought®
Your Basic Fear is of having no identity or no personal significance. See how this is affecting your heart, mind, and body today.
Type Five EnneaThought®
Your Basic Fear is of being helpless, useless and incapable. See how this is affecting your heart, mind, and body today.
Teaching:
We will recognize the Basic Fears of all nine types in ourselves, although our own type’s Basic Fear will motivate our behavior much more than the others. Indeed, it terrorizes us so completely that we have to defend ourselves against it in order to function.
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I too had what I consider to be a lazy Sunday (from a writing point of view, I'm about 6/7 weeks into a running regime overseen by a tyrannical Garmin watch). Did a bit of brain storming to develop ideas for a couple of scripts. I recently finished (as in revisited several times to tighten it up) a script and I have another one primed to have the same treatment, but I always feel restless after I have closed down a script.
Without wishing to sound flippant, 'significance' is a bit like Schrödinger's cat in this case. I think it is natural for people who are creative to put themselves under a lot of pressure, which can boomerang back on them. I sometimes get frustrated with the writing process because it doesn't always click, but I'm less ambitious than most writers on here, my tangible goal is to write a script (first draft/rewrites/hopefully completion - ha ha), try to do the best I can with it. Then repeat. In a generic sense, each time I write it is significant because it's part of my journey. Of course, I would get a total buzz if one of my scripts, by means of a deus ex machina like space alien intervention, was translated into a film (after numerous additional rewrites no doubt), maybe people would engage with the themes, maybe they wouldn't, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it because the script would always be personal to me, but I get why that would matter to other writers if it was something from their own lives and/or something very specific they are very passionate about. Lots of articles talk about creating one's own IP with short stories, podcasts etc., it takes me long enough to write a script, so I'll stick with that!
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Geoff Hall Sometimes after I send out a script (or pitch, etc.), I wrestle with "Do they like it? Do they hate it?" I've gotten better at not wrestling with it though.
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Mark Giacomin Hi Mark, I'm not sure I'd have the capacity to brainstorm and run great distances. I think my brain would resist and tell me to go do one!
Yes, significance can be a bit of a whip to the writer (who's an Enneagram 4) but also spur you on to write a better quality script. Sig 4s don't rest easy with mediocrity!
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Maurice Vaughan my thinking would be along the lines of "Well, they asked for it!"
Wrestling. I gave that up a while ago, as I was the one who always came off worse. The only guy leaving with a limp! There's a spiritual practice called 'wu wei', which means 'do not force'. Life is what it is, it brings what it brings, so roll with it. For sure, we don't like the bad news, but if we hold to this principle our resistance and suffering that news will pass and we'll get back to what we are here on earth for; to write.
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Great point, Geoff Hall! "Well, they asked for it!" I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.
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I want Maurice Vaughan to write a horror wrestling genre mash up!
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I just might, Mark Giacomin. :D
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And Geoff Hall you are not far wrong... between work, writing, and running something always has to give. Most of my writing is condensed to the weekends as I'm usually too knackered on week days. Still, aiming to go into the office tomorrow, so I will have my note pad and pen for the train journey.
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Yes Geoff. Done the Eneagram myself. It helps me understand so many personality types. I’m a 4 with 3 wing. But a 9 the peacemaker as well as I like to find common ground in any given situation and hear our both sides to an argument. I need to find a way to operate on the healthy 3 and 4 so I can finally finish a script and be ok with it
Shaun St. Cyr I hear you, Shaun. I am supposed to progress to a 1 and then find a kind of personality type nirvana, so that sounds like fun! As a 4 I’m an individualist, in the sense of being uniquely creative and never settling for the status quo, so all in all, I’m okay at the moment and don’t feel the need to be the perfectionist Enneagram 1. I hope you can press on to finish that script!