It’s tough to write from a place of fear
That when I leap, the net will appear
I have to leave, that much I know
But it’s not clear just where I’m supposed to go.
Whoa-oh, leap and the net will appear.
I’ve never been called to such a test of faith
I’ve always gone where the prospects were safe
But now there’s nothing on the other side
Nothing, at least, that has been tried.
Whoa-oh, leap and the net will appear.
I’m being called to something that’s not concrete
Leaping like this is no mean feat
The range is short and the view isn’t clear
I close my eyes and pray that the net will appear.
Whoa-oh, leap and the net will appear.
What if this is a dangerous chance to take?
What if it’s all an elaborate fake?
What if it’s a specious choice to make?
What if it’s all a big mistake?
Whoa-oh, leap and the net will appear.
What-iffing is dangerous but the fear is real
I can’t deny, and I can’t conceal
It’s tough to feel good, hard to be sure
But I can’t stay here ‘cause it’s no longer secure.
Whoa-oh, leap and the net will appear.
©2024 The Hesh Inc.
"Leap and the net will appear" is one of the cardinal tenets of Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, a book that has been hugely influential in my creative journey. Its intention is to encourage artists or would-be artists to embark on creative endeavors that they may want to do but fear they lack the resources or situations to be able to undertake them. When taken on such a scale, I believe this is sound advice; I myself was encouraged to begin recording my albums, even though it didn't seem that I had the money, time, or equipment to do so. Once I made the decision to start, these resources somehow found their way to me, and the albums got made and then released.
Where this doesn't apply, or at the very least where it should be undertaken with a maximum of caution, is when it comes to making major life decisions, because there is a very real risk of the net not appearing. This is what happened to me the second time I moved to Los Angeles, in 2010. I went there on faith, and I fell flat, hard. This is my emphatic advice, a corollary to Julia's encouragement borne of my hard-earned experience.