Einstein’s Three Rules of Work
Consider this:
Sticking with the numeric theme, it occurs to me Einstein’s words have at least three levels of meaning for creatives:
Writing: As we work our way through a story, writers almost always confront clutter, discord and difficulty.
How do we manage to wrangle the clutter of ideas, images and character interactions? Often by searching for the simplest, most honest ways to express ourselves in narrative form.
How do we handle the discord that naturally arises in trying to craft a story structure? Look for dynamics and themes that resonate with each other in harmonious fashion.
How do we survive the middle of the story-crafting process and all of those difficulties associated with it? By embracing the reality that a story is an opportunity. An opportunity for our creativity to express itself. An opportunity to connect with readers. An opportunity to succeed as writers.
The Protagonist’s Arc: Consider Einstein’s words as describing three-act structure and its connection to a Protagonist’s transformation.
* Act One: Out of clutter, find simplicity. The Protagonist almost always enters the story in a state of emotional and psychological clutter, what I call Disunity. Their ultimate inner goal is to drill down into the psyche and surface what it is they Need, associated with their Core Essence, the most fundamental psychological truth of that character’s existence.
* Act Two: From discord, find harmony. Once propelled from their Old World into the New World of adventure, the Protagonist often experiences the discord associated with being a Fish Out Of Water, a Stranger in a Strange Land. Here the Protagonist discovers their old ways of being do not fare so well, therefore they have to find balance between their Wants and Needs, harmony between their Old Life and New Life in order to survive — and thrive.
* Act Three: In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. As the Protagonist advances toward their goal, there is almost certainly a big battle or Final Struggle awaiting them. This is the climax, the most difficult time for the Protagonist and their journey. Yet in confronting the Opposition and the Protagonist’s own fears, there is opportunity: To win the day and move toward a state of Unity.
Life: Clutter. Discord. Difficulty. An apt description of life itself in the modern world. So how to cope?
Simplicity: The most powerful truths to live by are often the most basic. Find them. Use them as guides for belief and behavior.
Harmony: This implies finding a connection with the Other. Whether the Other is a person, job or situation, look to discover genuine points of resonance and as a result an experience of harmony.
Opportunity: No matter how troublesome the moment, there is always an opportunity to learn about life… embrace life… live life to its fullest.
Einstein claimed these were the three rules of work. For writers, it seems to me, they are much more than that.
What meaning can you gleam from Einstein’s words?
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