america turns 250… we should wear gold.
America is turning 250 years in two days it feels like a moment for glamour and gold.
Ralph lauren 2008
ralph lauren collection
where does one go to buy a gaudy gold sequin dress?
if you are on a budget and don’t want to spend $3,000 dollars on a dress:
https://www.bloomingdales.com/buy/gold-sequin-dress?msockid=3bdc6dc3a4c66a461d137a4aa59a6b12
If you want the real thing:
Discipline
stock photo of stone church
How do you make good art, what is the secret sauce, is there a secret formula, is it magic?
Your discipline and your habits will determine the quality of your work. That means you are solely responsible for its outcome and that is why some artists sometimes have a hard time due to living under the weight of this. But it’s also a very rewarding process and its yours alone which makes it very meaningful.
Strive to cultivate a rich inner world and live respectfully within your community. Your thoughts, feelings and experiences affect the work and its outcome. Strive to not compare or compete and to learn to be comfortable within yourself and with you choices. Once you get to a comfortable place you’ll realize that many things that you worry about don’t matter.
What determines your success will be several things:
One, your thoughts and what occupies your mind as well as your time.
What you allow into your mind will either distract you, occupy you for long periods or cause you to go in a specific direction. You should make healthy choices about what you allow yourself to be exposed to and what influences you.
Two, your level of respect for others, things, yourself, etc.
It’s important to create art knowing that you are not in a bubble. Your work will touch the lives of others and be seen publicly if you allow this. Make sure you are respecting other artists, nature, systems, rules etc. Have a healthy level of respect for these things even if you don’t always agree with them. Try to understand them and not cause harm to them even if you feel an urge to spite or to be spiteful. This is weak and should never be used. Here it may feel personal to you reading this but I assure you that this is not for anyone specifically, these are behaviors I have personally experienced throughout my career that do negatively affect others so it’s important for others to understand this.
Three, your values and goals and how you reach those goals
Your personal values, your goals and how you are implementing and also planning for those goals will either hinder you or motivate you depending. This may require support so plan accordingly.
I’ll keep this short and there will be many other things to factor in. I also will add, your level of understanding for the “rules of the game.” Your understanding not just of how to create something and make it look nice but also its context. You must adhere to a process which includes research. Your understanding of the industry you work in and its rules and standards. The tools you use will also determine your success and also how they are used and what for.
Many people promise a bright future filled with shiny things and upwards of 6 figures in earnings. I’m going to tell you a secret and I’m going to use the word over-inflation. Many people are publicly claiming to have a large number of followers, high profit numbers or salary but don’t be fooled. This is a really dangerous game to play. Unfortunately, many agencies, studios, brands, etc. do play the over-inflate game. I get it, the pressure is real and very challenging if you want to retain clients and I can see where the temptation lies. Sometimes titles are inflated or work is promised without it being legit and you better hope that it all pans out or you’ll be in hot water. For me, I was hesitant to ever have a big title for my career as I wasn’t comfortable with it. But after sitting down and seeing how long and how hard I had been working for many years, I felt that it would not be an over-inflation of my personal career but it would actually reflect the insane level I worked on and how insanely hard I had pushed and worked for that time. I wanted to be recognized for this and to stop underperforming in order to not ruffle other feathers. You should celebrate your gifts that are yours and focus on that without hurting others or comparing constantly to another life that has zero meaning to yours because it belongs to someone else.
If you strive for things that aren’t real, or you become overly competitive or spend your days in comparison mode, I can assure you that you will begin to unravel slowly or quickly maybe not at first but at some point you will feel it. If this happens to you, then it’s time to correct your mistakes and move forward. Mistakes happen and we learn from them.
But maybe you are someone who is lucky enough to reach this level. The reality of what that looks like is something to be aware of. It’s not always realistic nor is it actually healthy. I’m not discouraging but keep an open mind and do what works best for you. I’m now over forty and people tend to judge quickly and don’t understand that I have been on this journey for such a long time that, that is simply what it comes down to. Five years can make such a difference but don’t rush things.
I strive to live by principles with rules and ethics. I live realistically to the point where I don’t make it my goal to need or want a huge sum of money. I don’t strive for a lifestyle that is beyond my means or is bordering on fantasy. I actually prefer a simpler quiet life where I am free to contemplate and live in peace. Don’t get me wrong. Your relationship and views with money also can determine your success. You should know your worth and not be afraid to ask for it but also keep your feet on the ground and remain humble. If you prioritize things well sometimes then the money will follow but it’s crucial to stay grounded and don’t be swayed by showy or overly convincing sales pitches.
I encourage people to find a spiritual practice that can balance their creative selves so that we can all realize that we actually very small in a very large universe. When you enter into the darkness of creativity where you are facing your own mind and its inner workings (this sometimes for true artists who go through this process), it can be daunting and that is why creativity takes courage.
To those that are facing their darkness and creating I say good job, you give me hope. I hope you will let it be a cathartic process and one of growth.