How many times has THIS happened? You have a really crazy idea that you absolutely, deep down in the pit of your stomach, KNOW will be totally RIGHT for you. You want this. You irrefutably NEED this! You get a truly awesome limited-time chance to make it happen and it is imperative that you do this thing right now, or else….well, you just keep doing whatever you’re already doing. Right then fear will rear its ugly head.
It’s famous…the Fight or Flight reaction dichotomy that happens every time the adrenaline starts pumping through your system as you’re facing yet another new crisis or unfamiliar situation. It’s a human thing. I mean, look at us: Bad eyes, really limited smelling ability, can’t hear well, small teeth, no claws, weak muscles, can’t run, bad at climbing, and on and on. In a world of predators, we tend to be a lot wary. We’ve got good reasons.
Among the treasure trove of ideas in Seth Godin’s book, POKE THE BOX, is this one: No one has influence, control, or confidence in their work (or any other area of their life) until they understand how to initiate change and predict how a thing will respond. The “box” Godin is talking about in his title is any complex bit of your life that you want to understand better with the goal of making your interaction with it more effective.
Starting is a series of events. You decide to walk to Cleveland and you aim to do it on your own two feet – no bike, no bus, no train, no plane or helicopter…not even a hot-air balloon. You’re going to walk to Cleveland. So you take a first step in the right direction. That’s starting. At the end of the day, however far you’ve gotten, you might stop at a hotel and rest. And what happens the next morning? …
ART = PROCESS….ART = EXPLORATION….ART = DISCOVERY. Playing with your materials, learning a new technique for making a something, honing your craftsmanship and your ability to go further and further into your medium….that’s the glory part. That’s the part that makes your heart fly.
For a long while now, I’ve been trying to figure out why certain works of art (and poetry) speak so strongly and most others don’t. I am thinking that it could be the ones that shout out loud really are attempts by the artist to actually say something Real. What makes it Real is the courageous, open connection and access to the artist’s heart, it seems. A lot of times we shy away from being that exposed…and maybe that’s why…
