GRAVITY NINETEEN -- Sunday, October 4, 1992

Dark indignant reeling falcons are my thoughts, when caught up in the
widening gyre of a life out of balance, when they cannot hear me.

Things fall apart. September was more absurd and uncentered than any month of this year so far. During that time I'd lost my center. My gravity had failed. Only now am I slowly gathering back the clarity that balance can bring. This is largely because I'd forgotten the importance of a few helpful hints I've learned along the way in my attempts to create, and survive.

Yesterday I alluded to a kind of lifestyle that promotes creativity and
helps protect the creativist from gnawing doubt and strength-sapping fear.

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These are the Nine Principles...

I. Cultivate Intuition

Recognise that creation is a lifestyle and that creativity springs from
intuition. Train yourself to recognize your intuition.

II. Minimize Expectations

Don't anticipate outcomes. This is a dangerous use of reasoning that
clouds intuition and promotes extremes of high and low.

III. Use Spontaneity

Act on the correct impulses. Deliberately enter "random" choices and
actions in your day. Go with your gut. Avoid deliberate reasoning as
method of decision.

IV. Be True

Strive to be thoroughly honest in thought and action. As much as possible, reflect your ideals by what you do and say.

V. Embrace Simplicity

Try to be as simple as possible. Break all tasks into autonomous
groups of three. Limit your needs.

VI. Remain Self-Sufficient

Try not to rely on other people, groups, businesses, or institutions for
money or emotional support. Make your own living. Have few ties.

VII. Maintain Personal Anonymity

Do not put your name or signature on anything you make. Don't tell anyone what you've done once you do it. Just make and move on.

VIII. Form No Lasting Organizations

Organize to make one particular creation, then disband. Groups are formed on a project basis. Meetings are never formalized.

IX. Attract By Example

Don't preach or spread the word. Simply do, and hope others arrive.

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These were taken from Taoist philosophy, and from Thoreau, and from Rilke. They're tried-and-true ways to avoid the widening gyre, and still have the strength and insight to be able to tell the truth.

I'll talk about them individually in notes to come. Today was simply to
get the list down in one shot. The reason I've included these principles
in this Gravity discussion is that the technology is aimed at making this
kind of lifestyle possible. Some of these principles are very difficult
without it, notably number 7, Leave off your signature. Yes, you can
publish anonymously today. But it's pretty hard to get paid for it.

From: Joe Lucia