This isn’t a blog post about how to be successful because I’m not even getting into how hard that is to measure and I don’t know shit about it. This post is about love.
Go big or go home. I see that concept as a fun battle cry to shout at friends before regrettable decisions that provide an experience to laugh about later over mending egos and bones.
I don’t see it as fuel to belittle those who would try.
On a few occasions artists, mentors, and creative idols have said things like
(and I am paraphrasing – and luckily it’s rare):
“If art/writing is hard for you, don’t do it.”
Or how about:
“Find what you’re good at, and do that.”
Its like they take a dump, shine it up with awards and followers, then fling it at people as if it was some kind of gift. When they do that, it makes me feel like they think I shouldn’t even TRY, ’cause if it can’t be the best, then it’s not worth the effort. Like mediocrity is some kind of horrible, banal sin instead of a step in a process.
Maybe people who say such things have always been “gifted” and don’t know what its like to have to learn to draw, paint, sculpt, write, and more. Maybe their dark secret is that they used to struggle at things, like the rest of us, and they fling these polished turds to feel special.
The rest of us fight to learn those things we are terrible at because we love them.
We try and fail because we love.
We hope maybe one day it won’t be a battle to art or write.
Turdslingers can’t keep us from trying to be better than we were yesterday.
Make what you love!
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