The apprentice becomes master, not by duplicating systems of income, but by shredding his soul without price. If money is your object in writing, then pursue a more lucrative dominion, for in the end, the pen will flog you for your unfaithfulness. Past masters have decried the waste of their lives when dragging their bleeding knees through the streets of essential consumerism. Seek a livelihood elsewhere in the hum of business and trade where you need not sell your Mona Lisa for a slab of bread.

Step swiftly away from the clowns of the old side-show alley. Their gaudy words and greedy, savage minds entice you into the prostitution of your Higher Self. Think rather of your precious life, the one you have been given to excel in. You chose your destiny before you breathed in this dimension, so do not curse your own being. Proceed with your writing as only you can, leaving not your character to beg for its survival.Writer's hearts pulsate to release mirrors of the imagination billions of images yearn to burst as fireworks from their minds. Personalities you have composed start walking across blank pages and chatting precociously, knowing you well. They came from within the secret rooms of your subconscious, not to be shoved aside for a sparkle of gold.

You cannot swirl on the master's robe until you learn of the magick vibrations, the wisdom of the ancient ones and the mastery of the unbridled mind. Some say there are secrets and formulations to success. This is true however there are secrets that are sold loudly on every corner and there are secrets that you may never buy. The master was once an eager apprentice. He studied his art, served his master and expected no shortcuts. Do not be foiled by braying shysters who peddle at the marketplaces, saying "What need have you for mastery? Conjure words, steal words and toss them out for a penny. Laugh at those that perspire with the writing implement."

This is the grind of the mass market: A glut of apples is reduced to bottled sauce and eventually despised for its abundance. The price is slashed by the hour until it is poured out on the sand for the dogs. It is then they search for one titian orange.

"Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person." (Albert Einstein)

"A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure. I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them. (Oscar Wilde)

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both." (James A. Michener)

Esmerelda Jones... writer of desires

Victoriana, Victorian Swoon & Erotica, Gods & Goddesses: The Wisdom And Pleasures of Ancient Greece, Classic Romance, Poems For The Passionate, Bushrangers, Ghosts I Have Known, Crystal Ball Clairvoyant. Ratings and comments delightfully accepted.