The Black Box

mmmmmbb I am sitting here thinking, which is never a good sign. I am thinking of writing a story about a black box. At first, this black box will be sitting on the table in front of me, between me and the computer screen. Yes, this black box is blocking my view of the story and as such it becomes my writing block. So I think that I will write a story about my writing block and I will make it a physical object that way I can visualize it much better. So I am sitting here writing a story about this black box that blocks me and the black box grows. The black box is now as big as the table itself. I guess it grew because I was thinking that this story is dumb and will take me nowhere (and I won't make money) and I stink as a writer and . . . a never-ending list of negative comments that feed the box. And the box grows and grows - pretty soon, the box has forced me out of the room and into the TV room.
So I take a break from writing and there are shows on in which contestants have to perform and please the viewers so they don't get eliminated. These shows are on almost every channel and I think how dumb: this is the same concept - someone wins, everyone else loses over and over again. I begin to think (another sign of the appocolypse - the end of the world due to bad spelling) that I could come up with a better show to watch. Some ideas come to mind and I think that there are bad things (things I hate) and good things (things I don't hate as much) about these REALITY (whose reality is like this?) SHOWS.
In the show "the Great Race" contestants fly all over the world and do crazy things just to win. This show is a geography lesson in disguise (I somewhat like this but don't ask me why). In the show "Beauty and the Geek", people spend time together and learn that even brainless boobs and awkward nerds are human (I can relate to this show because I am both beautiful and a mensa-kind). In the talent shows (American Idol, Dancing with the Stars. . .) the best does not win all time - the most popular does. (I like this concept because the idea of what appeals to people is a mystery - and I like mysteries). So I decide to come up with a premise for a new show using all these ideas.
It is at this point, that I realize that I am being creative and that I can write about this (Hurray!). So I head back to the computer and I find that the black box is much smaller now, about the size of a pea. (I know that a pea is round and that a box is cubic but visualize a pea with corners, okay). I begin to type in this story and I begin to realize that the creative process comes from dealing with what is at hand. Rather than trying to make something happen, why don't I just write about my life right now and sculpt it into whatever I want to write about. (I apologize for the vagueness of the previous statement - I am on a chocolate high - blame the pusher of this drug - calls herself the Easter Bunny). To me, the process of writing creatively is a mystery. What inspires me does not inspire you (sometimes) and might not inspire me tomorrow. So this is a mystery, a huge mystery, right up there with how did the universe begin ? and how do horrible politicians keep getting re-elected ?
BUT creative writing is an ADVENTURE. And like all adventures, it is chock full of challenges, setbacks, and dangers. There is also romance (you gotta love what you are doing) and the final outcome (in which the story is done and maybe published and maybe makes you lots of money).
And maybe the money you earn will help put an end to war and hunger or maybe you will blow it in Vegas. But the point is - creative writing can be fun except if you feed your pet black box TOO much and it gets big and starts bossing you around (hint: black boxes love to eat negativity especially self-loathing.)
Finally, I have reached the end of this piece (you might have thought this would never happen - I didn't either but I did promise a happy ending and I cannot think of anything that would make me happier than ending this). The moral of the story is take proper care of your pet black box AND make sure to not let it poop on you. (because that really stinks.)
THE END