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Many years ago, I read Robert Greene’s “48 Law of Power” for the first time.
And being the documenter and sharer of ideas that I am, I discussed what I read with my buddy Saad Irfan. That was a time when we were all young and rebellious, trying to carve our names and marks in the world as writers, artists, and harbingers of a new era.
So I said to him, “It’s a great book. Very interesting, very cool. But the ideas are a bit too … harsh!”
“Like what,” he asked.
“Like, always reveal less than necessary, don’t even trust your closest friends, keep your thoughts to yourself, etc.”
“But it’s true,” he said.
And I stared at him.
The artist in me just couldn’t accept these “laws of power”.
And here was my friend, the artist and philosopher that I looked up to, telling me that it was all true.
Ironically, that was around the same time that Saad and I started working on Fractal, the epic story dealing with everything from religion, politics, betrayal, revenge, mythology, and what not. In other words, “power”.
Fast forward to today … My reading habits have become even more intense. And I have come across the Robert Greene‘s works again and again and again.
I still don’t know how much I agree with him. But I know that all his books are a permanent part of my library now.
And the dusty one that I picked up from my shelf just now is called, “Mastery”.
I had skimmed through it earlier. But today, I had to force myself to put it down for a few minutes to write this email to you.
It’s too important to not share.
The basic elements of this story are repeated in the lives of all the great Masters in history: a youthful passion or predilection, a chance encounter that allows them to discover how to apply it, an apprenticeship in which they come alive with energy and focus. They excel by their ability to practice harder and move faster through the process, all of this stemming from the intensity of their desire to learn and from the deep connection they feel to their field of study. And at the core of this intensity of effort is in fact a quality that is genetic and inborn — not talent or brilliance, which is something that must be developed, but rather a deep and powerful inclination toward a particular subject.
It hit so hard, because it connected all the masters that I have been studying since forever. And even more so, it is a summary of my own journey so far:
A fascination with stories and how they affect the human mind. A series of chance encounters that allowed me to apply it in various media: school plays, conversations, short films, etc.
The “apprenticeship” where I practically disappeared for my friends and family for a few years. The only way to meet me was to come visit me at the studio where I worked and lived.
On the surface, I seemed to be hopping careers and professions. I was an animator. An illustrator. A producer. A concept artist. And a writer all along.
But at the heart of it all, I was always the one thing that I hadn’t found a name for:
“Teller and seller of epic stories.”
The medium does not matter as much. What matters is the intent, the objective, the result, the effect.
That is what matters. And will always matter.
So think about your own life. What is your one overwhelming obsession? Or have you forgotten your obsession? Maybe you need to spend some time alone and think deep and hard about it. It’s worth it.
Hit reply and let me know what your one obsession is. What is the one thing that is always running in the back of your mind. What is it that you want to achieve Mastery in and be known for?
I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
Love and Mastery,
Shakaib Feroz
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