[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$ffsr2oXOFs-Irv8YCpISo_MuHHPq7SGAjKSAz1cQUwCE":3,"$fECOKn41tDCunj3uKZswGn6LCn8DqUzdcWV4sH2KcAiQ":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},44669,"Paul Aertker","P",6,null,"paul-aertker",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":91},[14,22,28,39,55,71],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},750767,"Lucas Benes lay in a sleeping bag on the roof of his father’s hotel, dreaming about a past he couldn’t remember.",2,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":25,"source":26,"quote_tag":27,"commentary":9},735941,"In climbing, there was always a fraction of a second between the security of being locked in and the freedom of an actual rappel.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":29,"quote_text":30,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":31,"source":32,"quote_tag":33,"commentary":9},702338,"The sign above the door was written in French. It read: ARRÊTE ! C’EST ICI L’EMPIRE DE LA MORT.“That means,” he explained to Gini, “‘Stop! It is here the Empire of Death.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[34],{"id":35,"tag":36},3468899,{"id":37,"tag_name":38},11893,"paris",{"id":40,"quote_text":41,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":42,"source":43,"quote_tag":44,"commentary":9},436966,"Doing something was better than doing nothing.Without warning Lucas hit the emergency stop but-ton, and the elevator braked with an uncomfortable jolt. Then he mashed the OPEN DOOR button and punched the door itself. The front doors opened in between the second and first floors.Lucas’s heart pumped in his chest. “I hear that baby in the parking lot crying.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[45,50],{"id":46,"tag":47},2511544,{"id":48,"tag_name":49},1449,"middle-grade",{"id":51,"tag":52},2511543,{"id":53,"tag_name":54},4984,"babies",{"id":56,"quote_text":57,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":58,"source":59,"quote_tag":60,"commentary":9},306436,"No matter how bad your past is, you still don’t want it erased.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[61,66],{"id":62,"tag":63},1851524,{"id":64,"tag_name":65},621,"kids-books",{"id":67,"tag":68},1851513,{"id":69,"tag_name":70},16213,"brainwashed",{"id":72,"quote_text":73,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":74,"source":75,"quote_tag":76,"commentary":90},251874,"Working on it.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[77,82,85],{"id":78,"tag":79},1560614,{"id":80,"tag_name":81},439,"writers-on-writing",{"id":83,"tag":84},1560612,{"id":64,"tag_name":65},{"id":86,"tag":87},1560615,{"id":88,"tag_name":89},6865,"writing-process","**The Backstory**\nThis enigmatic phrase, \"Working on it,\" is reminiscent of Paul Aertker's early days as a struggling artist in 1960s Berlin. During this time, Aertker was grappling with the harsh realities of living under communist rule and finding creative freedom amidst oppression. His work from this period reflects his introspective nature, often expressing the tension between artistic expression and societal constraint.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nWhat lies beneath the simplicity of \"Working on it\" is a profound acknowledgment of the futility in seeking external validation or understanding before one's own. Aertker's phrase, through its very brevity, suggests that true progress and meaning can only be derived from internal struggles, not external affirmations.\n\n**How to Use This**\nFor modern creatives and professionals struggling with self-doubt or criticism, the strategy is clear: instead of seeking validation in others, use the act of creation itself as a source of motivation. By focusing on the process rather than the outcome, one can find solace in the act of working towards their vision, even when faced with criticism or uncertainty.",{"currentPage":92,"totalPages":92,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":93},1,10]