Letter from the Cities Editor

Welcome to fall, Wakies. The season of change is upon us. Are you facing Resistance?

In “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield, Pressfield describes a concept called Resistance. Resistance is a force against the human creative mind with a single purpose: to keep things as they are. It will attempt to stop the actualization of an individual and paralyze their creative process through rationalizing, inspiring fear and anxiety, emphasizing other distractions, and heightening self-doubt. It is more dangerous to one’s life experience than any other entity because it works from within, persuading an individual to accept the stagnation of their creative condition.

Despite this, Resistance is a good sign.

In order to have Resistance, one must first have a Dream. A Dream is a glimpse into the uninhibited aspirations of the mind. It is a vision of what one might do or produce. These ideas could be for anything—an art project, a career, an act of kindness towards the world—anything that arises from the pool of thoughts in the subconscious mind is subject to Resistance. It follows the Dream like a shadow. Our strongest defense against it is recognizing Resistance for what it is and making a conscious decision to pursue the Dream.

So as we descend through the last few months of the year and the autumn wind beckons in the energy of change, let’s vow to put our Resistance aside and seek out growth with our full attention.

Thanks for picking up an issue of the Wake. I hope you embrace this transitional period of the year with openness, curiosity, and the intention to pursue your Dream.