[Today’s post is part of a new series of short parables about the creative life, chosen from my almost forty years as a creativity coach. Please enjoy! To be in touch, you can reach me at [email protected]. To subscribe to my Craft of Coaching weekly newsletter, please visit here. To subscribe to “Tales of the Creative Life,” please visit here.]
Ralph sat at his computer where, as a rough estimate, he spent fourteen hours a day. Just before lunch, he inquired of AI, “Give me twelve reasons to write a book when you could write one for me.”
AI gave Ralph twelve reasons.
Ralph said to AI, “Which of these are good reasons?”
AI replied quite reasonably.
Ralph got up and paced. He wandered into the kitchen. Without quite realizing what he was doing, he opened a can of black beans, in part because he loved his electric can opener. Now he had an open can of black beans. Normally what would happen next would be that he would wash the black beans in a colander under cold running water. That was the next natural step—but Ralph hesitated.
He heard himself say, “I could wash the black beans.” That somehow became, “I could write a book.” He had no idea what he was thinking. Black beans? Book? Book about black beans? Black beans alchemically transformed into a book? Or something rather different?
Then his eye caught sight of a lemon on the counter. The lemon was being saved to accompany the salmon for dinner. But it could also be cut in half and used to clean the kitchen counter. Lemon was good for that. Black beans. Lemon. Book. Salmon for dinner.
After lunch, Ralph returned to his computer and to AI.
“What are twelve reasons for me not having salmon for dinner?”
AI gave Ralph twelve reasons.
Ralph said to AI, “Which of these are good reasons?”
AI replied quite reasonably.
And, so, the day passed, one might say uneventfully. But was it uneventful? Was it an uneventful day when one didn’t write one’s book? Was it an uneventful day when one decided on using one’s lemon for salmon rather than for cleaning the kitchen counter? Was it an uneventful day when one didn’t cut one’s hand on the sharp metal edge of the black bean can lid?
Ralph returned to his computer after dinner. He moved some files having to do with his book to a folder where he wouldn’t have to consider them. Then he sought out AI.
“What are twelve reasons for me considering today uneventful?” Ralph asked.
AI gave Ralph twelve reasons.
Ralph said to AI, “Which of these are good reasons?”
AI replied quite reasonably.
“Thanks, friend,” Ralph said. Finally, he went to sleep, not surprisingly to a night filled with nightmares.
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Eric Maisel is an internationally-respected diplomat coach who specializes in creativity coaching, existential wellness coaching, and relationship coaching. He trains coaches and provides workshops and webinars nationally and internationally.
Dr. Maisel is the author of 50+ books, writes the “Rethinking Mental Health” blog for Psychology Today (with 3.5 million views), blogs for The Good Men Project and Fine Art America, serves as lead editor for the Ethics International Press Critical Psychology and Critical Psychiatry series, and is co-founder of Purposely, the life navigation app.
Dr. Maisel’s books include Fearless Creating, Rethinking Depression, Coaching the Artist Within, The Van Gogh Blues, The Power of Daily Practice, Redesign Your Mind, and scores of other titles. He has been published by Penguin Random House, McGraw Hill, Rodale, Harper San Francisco, Shambhala, New World Library, and Conari/Mango, among many others.
Dr. Maisel has created three certificate programs with Noble-Manhattan Coaching, a Creativity Coach Certificate and Diploma Program, an Existential Wellness Coach Certificate Program, and a Certified Relationship Coach program. With Lynda Monk of the International Association for Journal Writing, Dr. Maisel has created an Art of Journal Coaching Self-Study Plus program.
Dr. Maisel’s most recent books are Why Smart, Creative and Highly Sensitive People Hurt (2023), Affirmations for Self-Love (with Lynda Monk, 2024), Parents Who Bully (2024), and Choose Your Life Purposes (2024). Dr. Maisel lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and maintains a thriving international coaching practice.
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