Almost everyone I know who has a daughter, has a daughter that wants to be an artist when she grows up. It does look like the perfect life, long days of color and shape, beauty and freedom...sign me up! Sometimes their parents ask me for advice, insight, words of encouragement. What would I say? What do I wish someone had said to me?
Girls, especially, tend to hear things like, "Follow your heart" and, "Dare to Dream". Things that are important and true. But they don't hear about practical things to make the dream real. They will certainly hear about choices, usually choices that translate as "Follow your heart, or make money", but they will rarely hear solid suggestions about balancing both. Following your heart does not just mean going forth blindly on hope.
When I heard Gabrielle Roth say, "It takes discipline to be a free spirit", it changed everything for me. In order to allow your spirit to truly be free, you must pay attention to the bottom line, have the discipline to create work, and figure out what will support and create space for your creativity, as well as your everyday life.
A kite soars because of the combination of the wind and the weight that holds it down on the other end of the string. Without that grounding, flight is free for a bit, but ultimately too loose and destined for a crash. I think this is what young artists are rarely taught, and where true artistry applies.
Three different rainbows seen during one drive toward Haystack, balancing Heaven and Earth.
2 comments:
So true and well said. I printed that and left it on Faye's pillow.
That's beautiful, Jason, thank you. Sweet dreams, Faye...
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