Too often, artists begin to perceive their work as a product of their own intellect. We forget that the mind is the great deceiver. That creativity is, in fact, a gift entrusted to the artist.
Suddenly and inevitably, the work becomes more about ego and less about art itself. This is the most common pitfall for artists. Our work suffers.
If it goes on too long unchecked, the artist transforms into the ego maniac. Which is, of course, the greatest tragedy in art. Our world suffers.
As anyone who gets gas at Costco knows, the wait is long and people’s patience often wears thin. I’m third in line now, with the two cars in front of me each pulling up to their respective pumps.
The first guy gets out. He’s young, black, and wearing a mask.
The second, I’m frustrated with because he’s taking much longer to get out of his car. I see his door open and two feet slowly touch the ground, one and then another. He’s at least 90 years old, white, and contrastingly, not wearing a mask.
The first guy is noticing him too. He doesn’t exactly look steady.
Then the first guy begins emphatically waving down a gas station attendant. I know he’s seeking help for the older one because I watch him peek around the pump for an attendant and then quickly back to the guy. As we both now wait for assistance, he appears to keep his eyes on the older gentleman, as if standing at the ready, should he need some help.
My own eyes start to well up. The first guy isn’t in a rush to get gas and get gone, like I am. He’s present, and caring for a fellow human being. He doesn’t care that the guy is white. He doesn’t care that he’s not wearing a mask. He cares because he sees a man in need.
If I were a news journalist, perhaps my headline would be, “Young Masked Black Man Comes to Old Maskless White Man’s Aid at Costco Gas Pump.”
But do any of these details really matter? In today’s times, yes. They shouldn’t. But because we’ve been so increasingly divided over the past 18 months, we rarely hear these stories. We see them all the time, but we barely acknowledge them, and we certainly don’t hear about them. Sadly, these stories don’t sell.
I think they should, though. Because to me, this story is what America (and humanity) is all about.
What’s up with this notion of if it’s not dark it’s not deep?
Likewise, people seem to think the bright and happy stuff is automatically surface level.
I’ve noticed this in not only writers, performing artists, and theologians, but also my own friends and family. We don’t “go there” because it’s too dark. Or how can a cheerful dialogue be meaningful?
It’s true. A lot of times, when you dig deep, you’ll find some uncomfortable truths. And sometimes these truths are dark. But dark doesn’t mean deep or vice versa. In fact, if the truth you’ve arrived upon is dark, chances are you simply need to keep digging. Dig past the darkness until you once again arrive at light.
Just look at Dr. Suess as an example. He was one of the greatest artists of all time and he was deep. An average onlooker might mistake his work for being “fluffy” or “frivolous”, but if you look a bit closer, his messages are powerful and timeless. In order to arrive at them, I’m certain he had to wade through some dark waters. But unlike many great artists, he didn’t let the dark waters consume his work. He simply swam deeper.
I believe that all truths at their core are light. This is because at our core, we are light.
So next time you hear someone say that a piece of self expression isn’t meaningful because it’s not dark and/or deep enough… or if you have a friend or family member who never seems to want to “go there” because “why should we get dark”…. gently remind them that deep doesn’t always mean dark.
Happy Monday! As we start our work week, I wanted to remind us all of the importance of play. What exactly is play?
Play is light hearted and enjoyable. When it stops being fun, people stop playing. It is voluntary yet it operates within given boundaries. It is trivial although the outcomes are often highly significant. It is completely absorbing, the opposite of repetition and routine. And finally, it is necessary in order to live a meaningful existence.
We can (and should) grow up but we should never stop playing.
I don’t know why so many people say, “Do I have to grow up?”
Perhaps it was Peter Pan, inspiring us all to be children forever.
And I agree with Peter Pan that we should all strive to have the hearts of children, no matter how old we become. The child’s innocence, honesty, openness, curiosity, wonder…they’re all things we shouldn’t let the years steal from us.
But added years and increasing miles doesn’t result in decreased value.
We’re not like cars. We’re living beings!
For that which is alive, growth is a wonderful blessing.
Think about it. Each year things seem to clarify a bit more. Each year we grow stronger and stronger, more sure of ourselves and our Maker.
What’s not to love about growing up? About growing at all, in fact?
There is no way of knowing which of our actions will forever have things hanging on them. And so, we tread carefully.
Alas, how innocent we are of our own mistakes and how responsible we are for them, also.
I don’t know why so many people say, “Do I have to grow up?” Me personally, I love growing up. Things seem to clarify year after year. I grow stronger and stronger, more sure of myself and My Maker. Yes, indeed, it’s joyous to grow up, to grow at all, in fact.
There is no cure for hot and cold.
There is no cure for the facts of life.
If we can stop trying to escape the inevitable alternation of pleasure and pain, we can simply relax and be fully present for the wonder that is our lives.
It is not long before fear based obedience becomes self loathing rebellion.
Be gift driven, not guilt driven.
Being compassionate enough to accommodate our own fears takes courage.
When fear arrives, just to sit with it, if only for a moment, is the ultimate act of kindness to ourselves.
Vehicle of Wisdom 