Review 2: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
I am back with another review for the book What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami. As a writer myself, I can’t help but to marvel at the wisdom of the runner-novelist.
I am thinking back to when Mr. Murakami said the whole purpose of running for him was so that he could write. (He participates in annual marathons and even swims and bikes for triathlons, which I find it extreme but still very beautiful to see his physical activity mean so much to him than just a way to keep fit.)
I read from some other book (I will come back to it to refer to it correctly) that contained an interview from a well-known novelist (whom I unfortunately do not recall at this moment). The author said that he believes that the mind should be healthy in order to be creative and productive to write good stories. It helped shift my previous understanding of the relationship between the state of mind and creativity. Often times, I heard the tropes of mentally ailing artists. That in order to break out some kind of an artistic genius in you, you had to be depressed or mentally ill in some way. When I was young, I believed this concept with a lot of fear for myself as a creative. I didn’t want to go mad. I didn’t want to lose myself. But did I have to be depressed and sad all the way down to the rock bottom at all times in order to write the best stories I could ever muster?
Mr. Murakami utilized the power of strengthening the body to strengthen his mind. He mostly refers to the mind power as the means to survive as a productive writer on long-term. I also believe it nurtured his brain health in general to be able to be creative from the start.
When I read Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke, MD last July, she wrote that she could not recommend exercising enough as a way to heal your mind. Prior to reading, I thought exercising being beneficial was clique and redundant and boring (which explains the lack of activity noted consistently in my health records since around 10 years ago). After reading, I really believed it, much thanks to the thorough research done and well-explained in her book.
I started running as daily as I can after reading What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. I did notice that my emotions were more regulated, even lifted and leaning towards positive more often than before. It gave me a sense of calm like a clean blank canvas. On the canvas, I could clearly see which emotions were coming from me, which emotions were coming at me, and I still had enough room in my mind to wait and ponder what I wanted to do with them. Why haven’t I exercised regularly before? I wish I knew sooner.
I don’t believe in the trope of mentally ill artist anymore. Artists have every right to draw inspiration from anything including depression and inner demons, but it is never a necessity to create masterpieces. I’m happy that I know how to be creative now going forward.
Thumbnail photo information:
Brought from Amazon listing of said book: https://www.amazon.com/What-Talk-About-When-Running/dp/0307389839
Brought from original cover/book design by Iris Weinstein