Passion

There is a burning fire, a flame that is unquenchable. The heat from the blaze pushes me to dig deeper, work harder and yearn for more. My biggest desire is to be able look back on the end of day and say, “I’m one step closer.” I want to feel good about what the day has accomplished. It is the foundation for things that are to come.

The biggest challenges are the obstacles. There are a lot of them. Some of these road blocks are people, some are financial, some involve mindset.

I want to spend as much time as possible in the act of creation. It is what we were all made for, we are authors of creativity.

What is it like to continue rediscovering our authentic voice?

There is truth that resides in our souls. Connecting to that place, the many tiers and shades, those places that aren’t yet known, that’s is what I search for. Those things that stand in the way are objects of frustration. That frustration is continual.

These obstacles thwart progress; every morning requires confronting them. The question is, how does today’s creative process help push the barriers aside.

Patience. But patience can seed complacency. That is a path I have travelled over and over again. Good enough is not always good enough. I have allowed it too many times.

Does It Work, Does It Not Work

We only see and believe our own reality. Disappointment has resulted when my previous goals were not achieved. Now, I strive to let it roll off my back. Sometimes you got to work around it. There are opportunities and choices in every decision. It’s a matter of seeing them.

There are a lot experiments that are available for implementation. Trial and error is the canvas of art.

Experimentation is best practiced with a budget in mind. Its cost should be affordable and discarded if unsuccessful. If too many resources are committed there is a risk of cognitive dissidence.

Circumstances change. In fact, one of the few guarantees of life is change. People change. Commitments change. Therein lies the secret – how do does a person recognize change is happening? Again, too many resources committed can lead to blindness. Faith in someone can lead to disappointment.

Let’s not forget about rejection. That stings big time. What have I learned from rejection? You get rejected enough times and your skin becomes thick. I have stopped taking it as a slap in the face.

It is part of the risk of collaboration and relationships.

Feed Back

We humans act upon our intuitions, it’s natural part of our cognitive perceptions. We can perceive intentions of others by the energy they project. People can tell if you have a decent heart, have no intent on harming others, not looking to take advantage of someone.

The opposite is likewise true. We have all run into someone and known immediately that something was amiss. The person you encounter sets off alarm bells; there are warning signs.

Seeking out people you trust and respect is super important. Especially when you desire the wisdom of their opinions. Who do you seek out for advice? People who are going to be truthful, with objectivity. Ask your fellow artists, mentors, teachers and role models.

What Are Your Strengths?

Why is it that some of the worlds greatest and most successful artists become addicts. Some of them end up killing themselves. We all live in a world of our own imagination. Does someone go down the dark road because the success is too much to handle? Is there a desire to always feel that high, and if it even ebbs a little, the loss of it is too great?

I wouldn’t know, I have never been there.

Some of the best advice I have ever received – Use your knowledge of your craft and create a unique perspective.

I love original music. Individuals who decide on collaboration will bring their strengths to the table. Playing cover tunes requires mastering some one else’s performance. This is a good thing. Playing original music requires presenting your strengths.

The Peanut Gallery

There are all sorts of people who are super critical.

Most of these folks are under achievers. Many are self-perceived experts. I hate getting advice and criticism from those who I consider neophytes.

Opinions – I’ve said it before. They are like arm pits: everyone has two and they both stink. We have a choice when people voice their opinions. We choose to decide if that person is a mirror, or if they are voicing their own self-doubt. If they are a mirror, then you will most likely agree with their opinion. “Nah, you can’t do that,” or, “That’s a bad idea.” You will believe their opinion.

Using people or circumstances as a mirror, we tell ourselves our ideas are not important. People who think our ideas are bad are telling you that is something they wouldn’t do, so why should you. There is risk in agreeing with them. Let’s not disconnect our link between heart and and mind.

I don’t want to give this power to others. Why would I want to mirror the opinions of the negative and nay saying? The reason I am doing the things I do is because I do not want to function in the boundaries of others.

Leave the Peanut Gallery to themselves. My actions and my decisions are the motivating factors of my journey.

What Are Your Habits?

Creating new works never gets dull. Writing, creating music, producing videos, each one fuels the other two. Pretty remarkable and super exciting, it is.

There is no equality in daily routine. Each day presents obstacles and opportunity. It’s all a matter of seeing what is available. How much can I get done? Even the smallest amount of progress is still progress.

Who Is Listening?

Everyone has something valuable to share. Not everyone is going to enjoy the fruits of my creativity. There is an audience out there. There are seven and a half billion people in the world. The only thing needing done is to find one hundred thousandth of a percent of the worlds population. Not so daunting when put that way.

There is no single definition of success. We can judge our aspirations against the standards of another person’s triumph. We can measure our merits on what we perceive to be someone else’s achievements.

Or, we can measure our success against ourselves. What new things have we learned, what techniques did we expand upon, what part of today fueled our passion?

Can we help you?

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