In my most recent book, “Becoming A Writer, Staying A Writer”, I discussed some of the issues I have with people who aren’t in the arts (as writers, actors, artists, directors, the occasional bank robber), telling those who are, “If you want to succeed, you have to go outside your comfort zone.”

The thing about artists — which includes all the categories noted upstream, as well as any others I might have missed — is that they spend most of their lives trying to get to a place in life where they can simply enjoy the process of creating their art. But at the start they rarely get that far because they’re forever being distracted, diverted, and discouraged, sometimes even by family and friends. It’s rarely intentional; most of the time it comes out of an honest desire to help, but they don’t quite know what to say, so they keep firing off that one piece of accepted cliché and hoping for the best.

Nascent artists are often insecure about their work, and guilty about the time it takes from everything and everyone else in their lives, and it doesn’t help when others around them dismiss that impulse as trivial or self-indulgent. “You need to focus on something realistic.” “You should have a Plan B in case this doesn’t work out.” “You’re not special. No one wants to hear what you have to say.” “Who do you think you are, Hemingway/Picaso/Spielberg/any other artist of your choice?”

“We know you really want to become this great artist, but what if it doesn’t work out? You’re putting all your energy into this hobby” — they always call it a hobby because they can’t wrap their brains around it as a profession — “and you need to have other options. You have to start thinking outside the box you’ve made for yourself.” “You can always do the art/writing/directing thing later, right now you need to focus on making a living and getting a job.”

Which brings us back around to “Sometimes you have to go outside your comfort zone.”

Here’s the counter argument: Sometimes you have to go toward your comfort zone … even if that means going outside everyone else’s comfort zone. Your art gives your life meaning. It gives you joy and purpose and a sense of fulfilment. That’s your comfort zone. And if doing so makes others unhappy, suspicious, wary, or doubtful, then they need to get out of their rut, their perspective, their comfort zone to either support you in a desperately difficult journey, or failing that, to at least get out of the way.

Over the long haul, artists learn to challenge themselves every day, going beyond what they think they can achieve and avoiding the risk of falling into complacency. But in the beginning, when everything is still fragile and uncertain and “How do I know if I can really do this?” be gentle on yourself.

Go into your comfort zone. Amazing things are waiting for you there.

→ J. Michael Straczynski (writer and showrunner of Babylon 5)

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