When we say we are starting from scratch, we generally mean that we are going back to the beginning, starting from the first step again, or starting from nothing.
The origins of the phrase go back quite a way in history, and originally, the scratch referred to was a sporting term. It was any line scratched into the ground to represent a boundary or starting point. Scratch eventually came to denote the start point of a race.
The popped up in 'handicap' races where the not-so-strong or experienced entrants were given a head start. Those, starting from scratch, were in fact the stronger players, but were given no advantage.
In effect, if you’re starting from scratch, you’re starting behind the weaker runners, from less than an advantage.
And what, exactly has all this to do with this bright shiny and brand new blog?
Recently, through my own stupidity, I lost all the data on my hard drive: photos, video, documents. ALL GONE. And amongst those things lost are all my writings. Short stories, my half-way-done novel, poetry and my creative writing workshops.
I left the UK with a CD that was burned with all of these things “just in case”. Can I find the CD? No. Did I back any of my work up? Again, no. Can I blame anyone but me for this foolish loss? I think that would be a resounding NO.
Effectively, I am starting from scratch. I am starting behind everyone else. I am not going back to the beginning – I am going back to before there was a beginning.
Losing everything has made me consider that now is the time to explore new possibilities, new ways of doing things. Now is the time to take my own advice and ditch EVERYTHING I thought was true about writing and creativity and view things with a fresh pair of eyes and what the Zen Masters call “Beginner’s Mind”.
I realise that there was no loss at all, but a gift. The creative buttons have been reset.
The loss of the work – what I often referred to as “my life’s work” – is an invitation. Will you join me on this journey to recovering your creative self? To reclaiming your right to weave your own story through your art, no matter what form you choose it to take?
I accept the invitation. Do you?
The secret of the breath
18 years ago
2 comments:
There are certain events which horrify me to ponder, of magnitudes small and large. Catastrophic data loss is one, as I have poured so much of myself into my computers. On the other hand, I have experienced a very similar situation to what you have described, and amazingly I survived. In fact, there's very little of the lost data that I actually remember or think about. Probably, in total, less than 2mb cause me even the slightest pangs of regret.
To new beginnings, and the strength to catch up, even when starting from scratch.
Word verification: aulatia
Pronunciation: "oh LAY sha"
Definition: n. The spirit of perseverance and strength
Use it in a sentence: When the lovely Tanya lost her "life's work", her aulatia pushed her to rise to the challenge of creating a fresh body of creative work.
While I did not intend to make known the word verification, this one just resonated, and seemed right, so I had to share. :)
noooo! what happened? are you sure it's gone? was any of it on the powerbook? let me take a look please!
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