From Here to There - Prologue

 

From Here To There


Prologue


This is not a how-to guide, a sharing of best practices designed to get your artistic career and life to work like anyone else’s. It’s not a philosophy or a collection of quotes. This is an ongoing conversation, a series of love letters to the artist at the core of it all, because the creative journey is a lonely one, and there are a lot of people out there who will happily keep you company if they can benefit from it. 


I sat with a pop singer in a beautiful park in Los Angeles and asked her about how clearly she could see her goals. Did she know what she wanted to be, what direction she wanted to go? Were her goals way off in the distance like the red building just beyond the fence? Could she visualize with some familiarity where she wanted to end up, and did she know how she would get there? She hadn’t quite thought about any waypoints on the way to her goal, and had instead focused on that finish line, which included fame, paparazzi, fans, and money. 


Is her story any more or less valid than the backup singer who tours but never steps in the spotlight, the balloon twister who street performs four times a week, or the quiet, isolated teen who plays guitar in her bedroom? They’re all wandering on their own journeys figuring it out, trying to filter all of the incoming advice and opportunities, and yet they’re not so different from each other. Knowing that these people are actually related in the creative pursuit should give you hope that all talent, in its most raw and unrefined form, is hidden from context, buried in obscurity, and yet it has amazing potential waiting to be discovered. Everyone begins with the same spark of individuality, a way of communicating something that can’t otherwise be defined. That thing you love to do is your fingerprint, your unique contribution to the world, and it’s no less valid than anyone else’s inspiration.


The creative world where talent swims is a deep and mysterious ocean of self expression that has room for everyone to find their depth and live comfortably there. There’s no limit to the space available for people to express themselves, so trust yourself, and reach out into the unknown. It is yours to define, to build, to navigate exactly the way your heart dictates. Trust that you’re not alone, your talent has value and purpose, and you may, as you reach out into the darkness, connect with others who are either traveling the same paths or truly needed to hear your voice.


This is for the little fish and the big fish, navigating to where you need to be, and listening to yourself the whole way. You are the hero of the story, regardless. This is for you.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chapter Four - Your brand

  Chapter Four Your Brand The strangest thing about the human condition is that throughout school, we are given the same information, the same standardized tests, sometimes even a uniform if you went to a private school, and we’re more or less trained to blend in and conform to an idea of normal. At least, there is a defined expectation that we get used to, or else you become that odd child who has strayed from the norm just far enough to be pointed out to your classmates. It takes a lot of courage to stand out, to be different, to be heard, so we have to unlearn those tendencies to fit in. We have to lose sight of shore, to create from a personal place that isn’t attached to something known and safe. You have to let your inside voice come out somehow in your art, boldly and unapologetically, refined for the context of your audience. Finding that voice, that unique point of view, that style of consistent delivery, becomes your brand.  You can’t just unlock your brand or sudden...
Read more

Chapter Three - The mind at the heart of it

  Chapter Three The Mind at the Heart of It Let’s step back and talk for a moment about the person who has discovered they have talent, who has found some joy and freedom expressing themselves through that talent, and is now innocently looking to learn more about where, how, and why they want to do more. Think of that contagious happiness when we see them in their most unfiltered, untethered bubble, free from  judgment, and you can tell they’re getting somewhere with it . If this person was a child, we would absolutely want to protect them at all costs and literally fight anyone who wants to squash their happiness and right to play. Roll up your sleeves; I’m right there with you.  Is there any good reason why you can’t afford yourself this kind of protection? Forget for a moment all of the things that might complicate your daily grind or the things that feel undone. Think about this moment right now, when you are investing in the curiosity about who you are and what you c...
Read more