I’m reading The Creative Act by Rick Rubin and so far—yes. Yes to everything. I love the way he writes. Minimal. Poetic. Elegant. And from a place of wisdom.
There’s no need to guild a lily.
Wisdom has inherent beauty. You don’t need to make it pretty with flowery language or even illustrative stories. You just need to give it space to breathe.
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I ran into my friend, Fran, at the market yesterday. “I haven’t been collaging lately”, she said. “Good,” I replied.
Gestation is a thing, too. There’s a time to create and there’s a time to rest. To take in. To synthesize. To buy your favorite wine. To savor.
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“How lucky we are
That you can’t sell
A poem, that it has
No value. Might
As well
Give it away.
That poem you love,
That saved your life,
Wasn’t it given to you?”
— Gregory Orr
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Art isn’t a profession, it’s a way of life. It’s a way of being in the world. What you do with your art is your business. You can sell it, give it away, throw it in the trash.
Selling your art doesn’t make you an artist. Making art is what makes you an artist.
And looking outside for validation is never recommended. Regardless of the number of people, someone out there needs you to make the thing you make.
Maybe that someone is you?
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I connected with a friend today. A soul sister. She has a giant, God-shaped, entrepreneurial idea. Few things get me more excited than when a person hears that still, small voice, and boldly and blindly and in faith, takes steps to follow.
There’s no need to doubt or be afraid.
Follow the voice and the doors will open. Jump and the net appears.
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“We already have everything we need. There is no need for self-improvement. All these trips that we lay on ourselves—the heavy-duty fearing that we’re bad and hoping that we’re good, the identities that we so dearly cling to, the rage, the jealousy and the addictions of all kinds—never touch our basic wealth. They are like clouds that temporarily block the sun. But all the time our warmth and brilliance are right here. This is who we really are.”
— Pema Chödrön, from Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living Source
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You are warmth. You are brilliance.
Now go and make something!
Joce
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