The Writing Life: Self-Restraint: An Admirable Vice

by Raymond Alexander Kukkee

Time reflecting the eternal flame of hope  (c)2011 wlk photography

"Know thyself" --a fine ancient adage, is it not?

I'm kind of an old-fashioned type. I know that, and  perhaps I always have been. I like tradition, the 'expected' and edifying practices rooted deeply in the past, simply because such things are the bleached bones of my heritage. 
I enjoy beautiful things. I have an Achilles' heel for pets and wildlife, gardens, trees, sunflowers, Mother Nature's creations in water, rock, and sky.  Old cannons, rich dark chocolate,  coconut trees,  toasted cinnamon bread with coffee, amethyst clocks  and pirate chests filled with gold. 
Loyal readers continue to amaze me, as do other writers, my friends, those incredible scribblers of all things fascinating, good, creative people who continue to challenge me to get better;  dictionaries,  sultry, hot, sexy women, and bold, self-confident thinkers. Solid-minded people displaying innovation and intelligence invariably pique my interest.
Literature,  fiction, poetry, the spice of everything,  you name it, I like it. Savouring the English language is one of these rare, beautiful treasures;  the world of literature is a richly spiced jewel  that should be polished and tasted with vigour. It should be enjoyed.  That is why I write.
 The simple act of  creating and scribbling such tomes should equally be practiced,enjoyed, and above all, protected.
 Although literary perfection, Latin, and old English are now as rare as exotic orchids, -- and chests of pirate gold aren't  appearing upon the doorstep of most writers  anywhere soon,  dreams of literary elegance persist.   We dream creativity into reality. We dream of success. We work at creating beauty, fiction,excitement and perfection for those around us. For the world. For civilization. For the future.

Word mills, content mills, writing traps for novices,  set up with their own self-serving agenda, show the opposite, pay no more than lip service to creativity or the practice of traditional ethics.  The industry is preoccupied with money instead.
 Greedy word mills  are being revealed for what they are, and as a result are displaying instability and imminent failure.  We now know it's a great idea to not only read, but understand the self-serving 'terms of service' that can be changed daily without notice.  It is ever more essential to be aware.
In fact, the written word, "articles" today,  as delightful as they are, often buy the writer into a trap.   
Caveat emptor.
 I'm not delighted with this trend to the brazen practice of  commandeering and theft 'lesser' ethics  in the industry that has been taking advantage of, and damaging creativity.    This is not a 'good' change for civilization.  We resist change naturally, but it is difficult to watch, being traditionalist in nature. Great civilizations require unparallelled  creativity and art in all forms.

Should creative minds  be forced to a constant state of alert for hosers,  thieves, profiteers less than ethical corporate interests, greedy, arrogant,  non-creative people who willfully and brazenly take advantage of  the creativity of others?

The growing specific lack of ethics in the industry annoys the hell out of me.
I don't like that trend. Why?   Changing to lesser ethics for profit is inexcusable.
Writers, thieves and court jesters alike have their own reasons for existing. What are yours? 
We can now laugh raucously.   We have diligently practiced the fine art of self-restraint with gusto;  a few months of generic self-improvement.  Where the good old-fashioned rant is concerned, self-restraint is an admirable vice.
 I have no idea how long I'll be able to hold out, how about you?
 At times I think  I'm too polite. Is it because I'm Canadian?
Call in the cavalry. Load the grape shot.
 
Is that Incoming I hear?

photo credit:    (c)2011  WendyLee Kukkee   (wlk photography)