Today Im thinking of the importance of perseverence toward a certain goal. Often we think our work isnt good enough and not worth pursuing. But those of you who are famliar with my Michoacan journey know that I believe our lives are a metamorphic experience, ever evolving, ever changing, and what at first appears unfinished is actually a period of transformation. We should never denigrate ourselves or the validity of our work, never give up. I do believe in the importance of being practical. It wasnt practical that I quit my job at age 45 to go to Michoacan, but its something I had to do. But I dont advise anyone to do that. Being a starving, homeless artist is severely overrated. I made sure I wasnt going to be homeless or starving while I was down there. So while we pursue our goals we should make sure our basic needs are met. However, I digress. What Im getting at is that sometimes we are our most negative critics and we dont even realize how good we are. We can get so self-critical we work against ourselves. Often others dont realize how good we are until we have been practicing our art for many years. I have heard a particular artist being quoted as writing something to the effect of, I know I will never be taken seriously as an artist of any significance. Of that Im sure. The artist was Vincent Van Gogh. I saw this in a TV documentary but have been unable to find the quote online, so I dont know if its true. Ive also heard that Bach didnt become known as a great composer until decades after his death. However, he was never interested in making it or becoming famous. He composed for the sheer joy of it. No one knew of Franz Kafkas work until after his death. And Frida Kahlo didnt really capture the publics attention that she enjoys today until just the last few years. At least thats what Ive heard. She was known, but by a much smaller group than there is today. In fact, she appears to have eclipsed her husband, Diego Rivera, in some respects. This information is gleaned from things I recall hearing or reading. If my information is incorrect, feel free to correct me. But one thing is not up for correction: persevere, and always believe. I dont compare myself to these other people, but in my case I didnt get the literary life I always wanted until my late 40s. It took years, but I finally got what I wanted. And Im lucky enough to be alive and enjoy it. There were many times I was so frustrated I just gave up, but that didnt last for long. I couldnt let go of my dream. Im glad I didnt. No one else should, either.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 16:59:36 +0000
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