dispatch #8 | February 2022
Last week I shared some news that I was accepted to be a part of Ojai Studio Artists. I was completely detached from the application process, which made it manageable. Normally anything involving an application gives me hives.
Here's what I didn't share: I didn't care whether I got in or not. Part of it was, I felt undeserving (Resistance's favorite way to mess with me). The other part (and yes, I can have two warring emotions simultaneously) — I've grown to trust that the things that are for me will come. So I wasn't worried. Que será será.
I was accepted and I am grateful and just as soon as I was given this gift, Resistance rushed in like, Hello! I'm here! And just like *that*, I was comparing myself to others in the group. You don't deserve this. You need a bigger studio like that guy. You will never live up to it. You better up your game — fast.
Yikes! Resistance is a ginormous a**hole.
Neil Gaiman:
When things get tough, this is what you should do. Make good art. I'm serious. Husband runs off with a politician? Make good art. Leg crushed and then eaten by mutated boa constrictor? Make good art. IRS on your trail? Make good art. Cat exploded? Make good art. Somebody on the Internet thinks what you do is stupid or evil or it's all been done before? Make good art.
Me:
Resistance got you down? Make bad art. Make good art. Just make art.
I want to invite you to join my Discord group, Creative Guts. I created this group for one reason — creative community. Because making things takes guts and it's good to have friends along for the ride. There's some great folks in there already like Seth W., who is such good energy and full of marketing know-how, and Isaac who is a musician/producer and makes these amazing mixes. Come hang with us? Just reply to this email and I'll send you an invite.
A good reminder
Why you don't need to love your job
Draw a skeleton with your eyes closed
Sip your morning coffee to these tunes
Tour the studio of a 105-year-old working artist
remember play +
jump + pray —
Joce
