“What you need is to free yourself from your own preconceived ideas about yourself.” — Robert Henri
It’s not easy to be completely honest with oneself. Most of us don’t even try, and those who do, struggle immensely to do so. Why is it so hard to be truly genuine? Well, the harsh reality is that most, if not all of us, have been so deeply conditioned to conform and to fit in, that the entirety of our concious lives has been like living out a program, once set it becomes automatic. Our upbringing, our environment, our genetic make up, each one and in combination make us what we have become. The rest was left to will and chance, and although much of that chance make-up has been fortuitous, other parts of it are not. Those of us lucky enough to have the opportunity to grow up or immigrate to a stable first world country are given opportunities others less fortunate can only dream about. Being given artistic abilities is one of those luxuries but the will to live as an artist depends on you and you alone. If you don’t choose your life, it will be chosen for you.
That said, just because you might be making visual art for a living doesn’t necessarily make you a genuine artist. If your heart is not in it or no longer in it, you’ve stopped being one. You might be officially paid as an artist but if all day long you only think about achievement and reward, then you are only an investor hoping for a greater rate of return on your investment. If you spend most of your time whining, being bitter and judging others, you’re not an artist but only a complainer or a critic. Real creators are always aligned to a greater purpose; they have little time or energy to be bothered by such nonsense. Because, ultimately, you ARE your actions — all the good fortune and opportunity won’t make a dent if you don’t commit fully to the process. And this is about more than just professionalism, it’s about that passion and love for a craft that once held a place so dear in your heart that you knew that you just had to be an artist. Because to be an artist is a calling, a vocation, AND a privilege. No matter how hard you work, it’s never “just a job.”
Unfortunately, after years of working, it becomes very easy to forget your love of the craft. You begin to lead with your logic and not your spirit. You begin to crave outward success — money, position, popularity — things that actually have nothing to do with the beauty and wonderment of the craft. Each day you work, and eventually, at the end of certain days that work comes to a completion. That’s its due course, but that can not be the only goal, to merely finish the job. The ending of a task serves only to create enough momentum for the next task, the next challenge. The finished work, which is helpful for self-assessment, ultimately becomes a trail of your contributions — every moment of joy and struggle, each individual success and mistake make an imprint and they cumulate to become evidence of the time you’ve spent on this planet. The common things you waste so much time worrying about such as rushing towards deadlines, pleasing your bosses, getting respect from your peers/fans, or just plain old material security, these will all fade in time and be forgotten. The only thing left will be the experience you felt and what you gave. That’s how it is and should be. Hence, to live boldly and generously is the only way to live and create. You cannot rest on past results. If you wish to live life anew each day with the kind of zeal that is invigorating, your focus must be on learning, experimentation and exploration. There will be no room for boredom, nor will there be a dull or meaningless moment. And though it may take every ounce of your energy to live this way — aiming for excellence and striving for quality — you will find the experience worth it.
“Some people study hard for a time, then they ‘graduate’ and sink back into the little that they have learned.” — Robert Henri
So do away with comfort. Live free from the known. For what has comfort, security and convenience given us but the excuse to avoid challenge, growth and discovery? Toss away formulas and tricks that stop you from doing anything new, keeping you away from truly creating and robbing you of the chance of having a marvelous time. Remember, both the comparative mind and the mechanical world that surrounds us loves the old ways because established thinking eases the burden of having to pay honest attention to things and to live life afresh. Tradition always prefers efficiency over innovation. So, to succeed, to learn to live in the now, you will need to make a transformation from the inside out. You’ll need to discard your many conditioned desires and fears and ask what is it that you really want? Who is it that you really are and what it is you are to become? Then you must go out and create yourself. For all art is an invention and the first thing that you must begin to invent is yourself. The process is the product.
“It will take a revolution to do it… but if you can at least to a degree free yourself, take your head off your heart and give the latter a chance, something may come of it. The results may not be what you expect, but they will be like you and will be the best that can come from you.” — Robert Henri