Cat Answers

I have two one-year-old cats, Birdie and Henry, pictures of whom I will occasionally post on social media. Cats, I have learned, are very social media-friendly. The pictures I post aren’t that great, frankly – but it doesn’t seem to matter. Based on the response, they are far more popular than the essays and podcasts I share. Though to be fair, it takes a lot less time to glance at and be amused or warmed by a photo of two cats climbing into a dryer than reading a 400-word essay about creativity.

Also, sometimes when I’m crafting one of those 400-word essays, I will get up from my desk and search out the kitties. I like writing these, but it can take time to find a path from beginning to end. I want my little stories to feel complete and satisfying, a nice reminder of why writing and stories and life itself are worth the doing. I know firsthand how awful it is when you forget and all your favorite things seem stale and pointless. You can even start feeling that way if you’re having trouble finding a story’s end.

You can’t possibly write if you’re feeling the opposite of what you’re looking for, so it’s a good idea to stop and seek it elsewhere. Cats, in my experience, are always satisfied and complete. Mine like me, I think, but they certainly don’t need me. Whatever they’re doing seems like exactly the right thing to do at that moment, which is why I’m so honored when they include me directly in their lives, whether sitting on my lap or rubbing against my leg. They will also accept my attention if it’s not too needy. They do not, I believe, find life complicated.

Which is often just the reminder I’m looking for. Despair and hopelessness are always a consequence of unnecessary complications. If cats are good at being satisfied, humans are good at turning anything into a problem. The simplicity of the cat is not an expression of stupidity; quite the opposite. If I could tell them my troubles, they would likely say, “Are you crazy?” And I would have to answer, “Sometimes.”

If you like the ideas and perspectives expressed here, feel free to contact me about individual coaching and group workshops.

Everyone Has What It Takes: A Writer’s Guide to the End of Self-Doubt
You can find William at: williamkenower.com