Popular does not automatically equal good quality. Sometimes the really good quality stuff does punch through into the popular market, but usually the popular market is something that tends to be more generally focused and watered down. If you are really keen on being a watered down general demographic person, then thats your prerogative, and a question of what you want to do, and why you do it. Many great, amazing, and wonderful, things exist, flourish, dance around the periphery. Maybe this is the discussion about selling out or remaining true to your vision. Though I think there are other options, and the above scenario is too narrowly defined, too simple... its a trap! ;) What about being successful and true to your vision? What if being successful is being true to your vision? Maybe it is the value and nature of this success that could be looked at more closely. What prompted this post is the fact that I see lots of really popular things that get shared, upvoted, liked, etc, that I find rather blase, general, and boring. Sure theyre successful amongst certain metrics, but what really is that success? Theyre like the fast food noise of our social spheres, and to those who choose to do something different, something with more heart, sweat, tears, and grappling with fears, I thank you. To those who frequently get up at ridiculous hours of the morning to drive out to some place to take pictures because you feel the urge and compulsion to see and share these wonders of our moments? I thank you! To those who write lyrics and harness melodies and create music to give voice to your experiences and desires, I thank you too! You may not get the watered down general popularity of the masses, but you get to share your unique voice, vision, and passion, and that authenticity inspires me. And I prefer it to the polished honed meh that is much flash but not much substance. If you relish and create from this space of authentic expression.. If you grapple with the fears and dreams of what might be.. If you take your intention and actions and unleash them unto the world.. Then in my books, you have succeeded. You are successful at this procession we call life. And if, perhaps, you do it long enough, often enough, and hard enough, you might become one whose strength of artistry, and clarity of vision, is so honed that it will rise above, and become a legacy that inspires, that goes further than we can even imagine. Heck, you may even find yourself in that position of both creating really really good stuff AND being somewhat externally successful too. So.. thank you for creating, and growing, and striving, and sharing, of your voices and visions. For succeeding at releasing these footsteps on your journey, and being those at the periphery who make my world more fascinating, more wonderful, and more inspiring than I could have ever imagined. Keep up the good work Awesomepants ;)
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 21:06:37 +0000