http://gapingvoid.com/2004/10/20/power-is-never-given-power-is-taken-2/ "cartoons drawn on the back of business cards" Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:17:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= http://gapingvoid.com/2004/10/20/power-is-never-given-power-is-taken-2/#comment-2336 Lion Kimbro Fri, 07 Jan 2005 18:35:35 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=981#comment-2336 You "took power" when you decided to work on this thing, come hell or high water. Having done this for a very long time, you are now skilled in it, and ready. The point isn't that we should "fake" being ready. Rather, the point is that there's no shortcut. You are ready when you have taken power. You take power by actually doing the thing. At some point, you decide: "This is what I am going to do, this is what I am going to be. No matter what happens, I will continue to work for this thing." At that point, you are beginning to take power. Over years, you take little bits from here and there, until, after a long time, you've actually got that power. This is how I interpret this passage. You “took power” when you decided to work on this thing, come hell or high water. Having done this for a very long time, you are now skilled in it, and ready.
The point isn’t that we should “fake” being ready.
Rather, the point is that there’s no shortcut. You are ready when you have taken power. You take power by actually doing the thing.
At some point, you decide: “This is what I am going to do, this is what I am going to be. No matter what happens, I will continue to work for this thing.” At that point, you are beginning to take power. Over years, you take little bits from here and there, until, after a long time, you’ve actually got that power.
This is how I interpret this passage.

]]> http://gapingvoid.com/2004/10/20/power-is-never-given-power-is-taken-2/#comment-2335 anuj Thu, 06 Jan 2005 11:37:20 +0000 http://gapingvoid.com/?p=981#comment-2335 But do you really need power to be creative? Or is it just another "prop". And in any case how do you know if you're "ready"? Even if you do think you're ready you're probably mistaken - <a href="http://www.apa.org/journals/psp/psp7761121.html" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://www.apa.org/journals/psp/psp7761121.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.apa.org/journals/psp/psp7761121.html</a></a> This "take the power" thing sounds more like brash overconfidence to me which in my opinion would be a bad thing for any creative person. But do you really need power to be creative? Or is it just another “prop”.
And in any case how do you know if you’re “ready”? Even if you do think you’re ready you’re probably mistaken — http://www.apa.org/journals/psp/psp7761121.html
This “take the power” thing sounds more like brash overconfidence to me which in my opinion would be a bad thing for any creative person.

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