When you're new to something, Rick Rubin enlightened us, you bring an ignorance that can be highly innovative. The usefulness of experts is indisputable but when you need a breakthrough freshness of insight is a priority. Indeed, so much of what we know somehow stands in the way of developing new perspectives. In a sense, we're at all times hostages to our mental models. And only by becoming familiar with them and aware of them can we learn how to see things from a new angle. Sometimes we may need to impose constraints on our projects in order to channel our creative energy. At other times, we may be asked to do exactly the opposite: drop the limitations, un-scope and acknowledge the importance of exploring something totally new, even if we don't know where this would lead us to. Unchartered territories obviously don't come with maps. They do, however, come with the promise of allowing us to be the first to map them while navigating them based on our inner compass. Ne
Arrogant belonging: declare that you ARE, claim your place in the world. Liberate yourself from the desire to necessarily help others/be of service through your creativity; just make stuff for its own sake, for your own sake. If you love something, persevere. If you love something, believe it loves you back. Regain your curiosity, cultivate your inquisitiveness. Follow each clue, no matter how mundane. Chase every reference. Explore every spark of interest, no matter how fleeting it might be. (Your) Art matters and simultaneously it doesn't matter at all. State it out loud: I am an artist/writer/poet/creator. Rejection is not a valid reason to quit, neither is the lack of audience. Inspiration and ideas seek you to manifest them. Show it you are ready and capable of doing that. Be ready, show up, do. Make commitment to the doing, not to the outcome. As artists, we all need some support and reassurance when we feel our creative muse is slightly less present. Here is an often updated