Growth
Challenging circumstances is the seekers destination. The creation of art is balancing pain and release. The strain on your muscles, the battle of the emotion you are expressing, the criticism of quality are all factors you must compensate for if you choose to leave something beautiful behind. The people want to see the struggle, and when they can see the pain, you can give them the release you felt creating. It is this gift that requires complete selflessness in your creation.
The great painters werent born great, they were great because they painted alot. Everyone is terrible until your paintbrush-holding muscles strengthen and you choose to continue; this is when talent is often wasted. The journey through the pain is finish line for some, but is only after the pain comes the release. Once the strain is over (usually no longer than 30 minutes) you are now in the zone to be as great as the greatest. YOU CAN ACHIEVE WORLD CLASS TALENT OUT OF THE GATE, IT DOES NOT TAKE 10 YEARS TO BECOME WORTHY. Expression is freedom, but is so important to create for yourself because the final viewer is always you.
This sounds cliche, but this is the same with forging new relationships and having unique experiences with with people. My mother always tells me: “Even if you are the one calling first every time, 30/30 times, it doesn’t mean they don’t value the friendship; dig deeper and question if they have a hard time calling and appreciate you immensely for being the catalyst”
I will touch on singing; you must be bad before you are good; you must hit every wrong note before you can hit the juicy harmonies. I wish people were so much easier on themselves. I am sorry if this deepens the cut, but the sympathy that comes with discounting yourself can be deeply fulfilling when the one you are expressing to builds you up; “No! you ARE a great artist, this IS a great painting”. This is wholesome for sure, but when you are your own validator of your genuine value, YOU CAN NEVER LOSE!
I make every single one of my friends promise me this: “I will never discount myself” because you should always be ‘glass completely full’ if there is enough substance from the source. I used to tip-toe around my pricing as a photographer; A prospective client would be on the fence, and my immediate reaction would be to offer my services for less, but this was a huge leap backwards. Confidence is a byproduct of self-belief, and I cannot surround myself with people who say they are less than they are, and you shouldn’t either.
This is the basis of my entire mantra for Creative Perception; surround yourself with the 5 people you want to become. You go to the places they go, talk about what they talk about, and treat others as they do. This sounds like parenting, but what I am saying should enlighten an opportunity to become something great.
