Follow your heart?

[JWREmmett]

Why should I or anyone: follow their heart?

It betrays wisdom...

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I think you need to strike a balance between following what your heart tells you and whatever wisdom you have acquired. As regards writing, I think that it is easier to stick with the learning process, and all its difficulties and discouragements, if we love what we are doing and really believe in it.

After we've actually gained some wisdom through experience, then is the time to work on striking that balance.

 

[allmywires]

Agree with Teresa. If your heart tells you to write in a niche genre whose readership is a party of one, then perhaps don't listen to it. (Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything). Balance is definitely key. Even if it means sacrificing parts of what you loved for parts that other people will (hopefully) love.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Follow your heart - after you've learned the rules.

Otherwise you're trying to ride an unbroken horse around a steeplechase course.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Follow your heart... I was just talking to my brother who said some guys he knew who liked fantasy had a look at one of mine and they said it was good but it didn't read like sff but a real story with real people. I did a little dance - finally, it is getting close. Sat down and remembered there is no real market for same. Then I did another little dance. Dang it, that's what I wanted to write! heart all the way with the realisation it may never sell

Just to say, seen Doz's post, and he is right: heuristic ie gut thinking is just as valid a decision making technique as optimising information.

 

[Mouse]

I follow my gut. That may just be me thinking of my stomach again. I have just eaten many chocolate hobnobs.

 

[Dozmonic]

What your head and what your heart want are often at odds. Following your heart is following your emotion, which is more immediately rewarding. It also relies on the subconsious taking a part in the decision making which is capable of processing much more than the conscious. When I was doing accounting, one of my teachers told us: "If you're ever in doubt as to what the right answer is, go with the first one. Intuition will out when logic fails."

 

[paranoid marvin]

Paint by numbers or just let your brush flow; both are means to an end. In my opionion it comes down to this though; if you are succesful following your heart then do so; if that doesn't work then stick to the tried and tested rules. For me, it's just as much about the journey as it is the end result - perhaps moreso.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

But the human heart is, or should be, big enough to embrace more than one thing (person, story, genre, style) at a time.

 

[Drakai]

Because the stories that will last lifetimes are the ones written from heart.

 

[Esfires]

Because the stories that will last lifetimes are the ones written from heart.

And engineered by the brain. We're all speaking of these two options as if they are mutually exclusive. Successful writing is that which takes the emotions and concepts that you want to convey from the heart and uses what we know about good writing to shape them into a form that more effectively communicates those ideas to the reader.

There heart is where we get the concepts we want to write about, but we must use our brains (our knowledge of rules, guidelines, markets, etc.) to deliver those concepts to our audience.

 

[hopewrites]

Let me tell you a little story about how I followed my heart.
First let us be clear on what it means to follow one's heart. To me it means doing what one feels to be "right" and rings most true with one's self. Naturally no one can tell you what your heart is saying other than yourself, you are the only one who can hear it speak clearly. To follow it, then, is the only way to let your heart, or your soul, speak to others.

I grew up in a loving environment that never the less placed an excess of emphasis on being "likable" one of my parents had been popular in school, the other had not. The one who had been popular nurtured what was natural. The one who had not suppressed what was less than stellar. Parts of me thrived in this environment, parts of me were suppressed and repressed quite rigorously. Eventually I left home making predictably poor choices in an effort to be the most acceptable person I could be. Within a few years I had lost all touch with myself and become a caricature of what I could have been. A few more years of this saw me at my most apathetic and cynical the things I had cared for and championed as a naive youth were ridiculed with all the cruel hate of disappointed dreams. I with drew from the few friends I had left, even as I withdrew from myself.
Whilst marching resolutely down this road to hell, an angel passed my way and asked me where I was going.
"Hell." I blithely replied.
"What a coincidence, so am I. I'll walk with you."
As we walked we talked and eventually he dissuaded me from seeking utter destruction simply because that was the direction I was going at the time. Why I could turn around and walk to Heaven just as easily as I was walking to Hell. Couldn't I?
I began to hope again. Pulling the splinters of my shattered dreams from the festering wounds in my soul I began not only to heal, but to put them back together. Some are broken beyond repair. Others are not.
I dream of one day writing something I would not be ashamed to have on my bookshelf for anyone to take down and read. So I decided to stop letting my dyslexia stand between me and story telling. Since making that decision I have doubled the number of words I spell correctly the first time and quartered the number of words I argue with spell check to become recognizable.
My Angel, upon learning I love to sing, and hearing my dulcet (though very rusty) tones, gave me a mic and helped me to develop the confidence to unlock my voice once more and share the love of music that is my souls delight with those who would hear it. Once again I can open my heart to the world through song.

Why should you listen to your heart? Because it is the only voice that will know you best of everyone. Because it is who you really are.
Why should you follow your hearts advice? Because you are the only person who can be you.
Of course its going to be hard. Naturally there will be obstacles that make you want to scream to the heavens "WTF! I thought you were on my side!" These things are not there to defeat you, they are there as a check and balance. If you can over come them you are ready to grow in new and exciting ways. If you cannot you may chose to wallow in stagnation or strive to grow stronger, braver, wiser... what ever it is that is lacking that prevents over coming it.

I'm inclined to be harsh in my answer, so I prefaced it with a story, so you could understand where I'm coming from when I rap your knuckles and say "Because anything less is a gross betrayal of your eternal soul."

 

[Glen]

I have just eaten many chocolate hobnobs.

Dark or milk?

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

We have heads and hearts and souls for a reason. I think we are happiest when we are listening to all of them at once. I think the same is true of our writing: we are happiest and we do our best and truest and most moving work when all three are engaged.

 

[Mouse]

Dark or milk?

Milk of course!

--

I'm still a 'go with the gut' person. My heart is an idiot and my brain hasn't got a clue what's going on.

 

[Glen]

Milk of course!

oh...shame...

oh, and to get on topic, if you don't follow your heart, the voice of the writing will be inauthentic and dull. That's not to say it won't get to the top of the charts and be an airport bestseller, but dull all the same.

 

[Solstice]

Let me tell you a little story about how I followed my heart.
First let us be clear on what it means to follow one's heart. To me it means doing what one feels to be "right" and rings most true with one's self. Naturally no one can tell you what your heart is saying other than yourself, you are the only one who can hear it speak clearly. To follow it, then, is the only way to let your heart, or your soul, speak to others.

[...]

I'm inclined to be harsh in my answer, so I prefaced it with a story, so you could understand where I'm coming from when I rap your knuckles and say "Because anything less is a gross betrayal of your eternal soul."

Lovely story, and one i could relate to, in many ways.

I'm currently trying to "listen" to my inner self again. Both in personal terms, as well as social/work terms.

And this time, i know it will take a lot longer...

 

[JWREmmett]

"Because anything less is a gross betrayal of your eternal soul."

Better to betray wisdom than my soul?

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

Surely you should never follow just one idea. Your heart (emotion), your gut (hunches), your brain (analytical), if you want to achieve maximally and have the best life you can, you need for all of these to be in harmony.

People say follow your heart, but this is a dangerous philosophy. Sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants, and it aint even close to clever. But to simply ignore it for logic or because something 'feels' right is equally dangerous.

So do you become a writer because your heart wants it? An accountant because your brain says its a good safe well paid carrer? Or a bounty hunter because your gut tells you you have a real flare for it? Or do you sit down and really consider it and then decide which career if any best suits you? My vote is for the last.

Cheers, Greg.

 

[Kylara]

Hmmm, I'm for heart with brain engaged to make it so.
I went with brain and other people's recommendations, and it went terribly - ended up somewhere I didn't want to be doing something I thought would be bearable but has turned out horrific and dire. So re-engaged heart and put brain into action and everything has gone stellar I am now due to go where I have always wanted to be in September, will be leaving where I am at the middle to end of March and will be doing things that I love
So all in all, go with your heart but use your brain to make it work, don't just blindly use your brain, nor your heart, else nothing will work properly.