So, with
great excitement, I begin my first (ever!) blog post pondering the dynamics
generated - and believe me, there have been many – by one of the queries that I
mentioned in my introduction. "'Why' start a blog?” The answer of that such
question had been for many years a very loaded two letter word which has also been a
part of my vocabulary all of my life. “No”, I don’t have enough experience;
“no”, I don’t have enough time; “no”, I don’t think anyone cares about what I
have to say…
Without a
beat I uttered one of my first words and have been saying/thinking it ever since. For
many of you it might be the same. Let's face it: "no" is an integral part of survival . In an effort
to keep us safe, our parents exclaimed "no" when we came too close to danger.
Later in our more formative years, well-meaning mentors, teachers, parents
and life in general watered down dreams and hopes by feeding us a healthy dose
of reality – all with the concept of “no” at the core. Of course, it would be
ridiculous to assume that a modicum of good sense isn’t necessary. But, what if “no”
binds us so close to the ground that we fail to launch into our artistic places? What if
“no” becomes a safe haven for us so that we never take risks or so that we never live with
purpose? History is full of visionaries in every culture who bucked the system
and chose not to accept the concept of “no”, instead pressing on by following their hearts and their destinies to
become pilgrims, leaders, inventors, artists, and the list goes on. No matter
what the type or medium, it is our God-given destiny to be creative.My challenge to myself, as well as to all of you, is that we free ourselves by exploring the “no’s” which have kept us from seeing – and ultimately being - the artist within and that we quiet those “no’s” that prohibit us from our ability to see art, from our desire to be artists and from our ownership of the right to create art.
Until the
next time that we meet, be blessed and live artfully!
