There is a place that exists deep within the recesses of the mind that I have been before and that I am trying to return to once again. I take long walks and breathe and tap out beats to catch a rhythm but that is not enough. The only way to get there is by crossing the threshold, which is the unifying theme and name of this publication.
The purpose of this post is to set a foundation and hopefully make some meaningful connections so that this collection of stories, poems, essays, and uncategorizable musings feel less chaotic to readers as I am prone to writing and publishing with little explanation.
If we take a circular understanding of stories, we begin in the Ordinary World. Now this is not the white picket fence and smiling kids playing ball in the neighborhood kind of ordinary world. This is a neurosis inducing, mundane, gray, and limiting place we wish to escape. When I am writing in this Ordinary World, I have no flow. Every word is pain staking. I have little confidence and in turn you find yourself bored and skimming and wondering why you clicked on the link when you were only half-interested to begin. Everything here lives on the surface. This world is literal and rigid. Its machine-like purpose is utility yet the true value is fleeting.
Many of you will correctly recognize these concepts as steps in Joseph Campbell’s concept of the Hero’s Journey, which was developed by finding commonalities between stories across different cultures and time periods. I have avoiding naming it thus far as I believe the true value is not in the common plot points in these ranging stories but the discovery that the underlying psychological and emotional journey of the individual living out the story mirrors the external journey. The same goes for the person reading the story and the person writing it. This is why we we cannot use the plot templates of the ordinary world. There is no room for art in diagrams. We must create a portal for something new to be birthed.
The Threshold acts as a bridge from the ordinary world to the unknown. Psychologically it is the world of the unconscious and the birthplace of dreams, archetypes, and the inexplicable. Only once the hero takes the leap into this world do the mentors and allies reveal themselves. It is the battleground of difficult challenges and rewards that make the journey not only worthwhile but also sensical. My hope is to embrace and create this parallel world through writing. Here we can take a step back from the immediate and search for a respite of the eternal. When we are finished we can return to where we began, rested and ready for the next call.
Crossing The Threshold
“ This is why we we cannot use the plot templates of the ordinary world. There is no room for art in diagrams. We must create a portal for something new to be birthed.”
Amazing line. Great intro.
I am curious to see what is on the other side of the the threshold. Perhaps a better title would be "At the Threshold," as the threshold does not seemed to have been crossed yet. The question for me is--How exactly do you cross that threshold? Is something needed to open the portal? I am not certain that writing, meditation, or even hallucinogens are enough to do it. I just finished writing my "morning pages" and concluded that one important thing that I am overlooking in my life is the "exploration of my inner world." But I stopped writing at that exact point and circled the phrase. Why? Because I could not figure out a way to start that journey. I can visualize a door frame and a landscape beyond. What comes next?