Lately I’ve had several encounters of what I call "NTG Syndrome." NTG stands for "Nose-To-Grindstone", and is indicative of a creative who is so intently focused on the moment-by-moment tasks of their current job that they are ignoring all of the greatness and possibility that surrounds them.
The image I have of this phenomenon is a bit like this:
Imagine that you are in a battle. Kind of like a "Braveheart" kind of thing. There’s battle all around you, and all you can see is battle. You have a strong sense that you MUST fight your way out of this battle, because it’s the only way to survive.
Then suddenly, in a moment of clarity you are lifted up out of the battle. As you hang suspended above the battle, you can see thousands of acres of beautiful land surrounding it. Wide open spaces. Streams. Mountains. And as you look down on the battle, you see that it’s taking place in an area about thirty feet in circumerence!
Now you’re placed outside the battle. You’re standing in the open place. You have a choice. What do you do?
When you were inside the battle, you had no idea of the amazing possibility and beauty that surrounded you. Now that you’re out of the battle, you can see how small and insignificant it really is in the grand scheme of things. This is what creative freedom feels like. It’s not that the battles don’t need to be fought, it’s just that we cannot lose perspective of the bigger picture - the possibility.
Many of us in this situation, myself included, would be tempted to run right back into the midst of the battle - that thirty foot circle. Slowly we would forget all about the wide open spaces until all we can see again is battle.
What are you going to do with your next glimpse of freedom?
In this interview, 
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