Personalized insight
Every Artist Makes This Choice
Is your life’s journey a true expression of your self?
Too many people just follow what’s right in front of them, without discernment. They choose what’s easy and available. They don’t realize that we can create our own lives.
I think that’s why the public is so fascinated by the lives of artists. We’re the renegades, the ones who take the difficult path.
Instead of color, texture and line, artists use their choices to paint life’s canvas.
Choice.
The word is deceptively simple. But if, like me, you have found yourself trusting your fate in a tossed coin, you know that making decisions can be difficult, especially when you’re creative. Because our interests are usually a little wider, our dreams a little larger, and the risks are a little greater.
Putting off decisions is a long-cherished pastime of creatives. We would much prefer to continue mulling the possibilities, perhaps begin a new project, or even watch paint dry — literally!
This is where the courage to make difficult choices is called upon.
As artists, our creativity is the most authentic part of us. But too often, we allow our fears to dictate our decisions instead of trusting our creativity to lead us.
This doesn’t mean that you are at the whim of some vague, artsy-fartsy fancy.
Ask yourself, “What do I really want?” Then engage with your creativity and listen to where the work takes you.
If you find yourself hesitating to make an important decision, remember Poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s words, “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves.”
Choosing to love the questions instead of scrambling for answers begins a journey toward real authenticity.
And though it is scary to take the road less traveled, it’s this journey that will bring you more adventure and more beauty than you ever dared imagine.
Every moment holds the promise of being a defining one.
It’s your choice.
