Dear Sam:
I have a question. The book that I want to write…I am wondering if it will be useful or if anyone would want to read it.
What do I do with this feeling of ‘who cares about your work, all the effort you put in is useless….’
If you could help I would be grateful.
Best,
A.
Dear A.,
Every single person throughout human history suffers from self-doubt, secretly believes they are a fraud and wonders if anyone will care about their work.
You are not alone.
In fact, your doubts may be part of what makes you an artist. I’ve heard it said that only dilettantes and amateurs never doubt their talent.
And I’ve noticed that the more daring the creative idea, the more vicious and violent those critical inner voices can become.
So over time, I’ve learned this:
the louder & meaner the voices in my head are, the greater the probability that I’ve just had a really juicy idea.
Think of it this way: the voices in your head are trying to keep you safe.
They don’t want you to put yourself in a vulnerable position.
They try to scare you into inaction by telling you that no one will care about your work. Or worse, that people will judge you harshly.
But art is about making yourself vulnerable.
That’s kind of the point.
Or at least part of the point.
And let’s face facts – it’s possible that you will create something that other people don’t care for.
Fear of failure is entirely reasonable. But it’s no reason not to do your work.
As long as your work remains unwritten in your head, it has no effect on anyone.
Except you. And then not in a good way.
Once you let your idea out of the hermetically sealed vault of your brain and out into the fresh air, the idea will immediately start to evolve. The minute you get it down on a piece of paper, it will change.
And then, once you let it out of the house – once someone else gets to experience it – then you are all changed.
You are changed.
The project is changed.
The audience is changed.
That’s the alchemy of art.
And here’s a real-life example:
Nedi, a vivacious member of my 365 Club, worked with her son to compose a song about Autism.
She finally got the courage to get it mastered, and she posted it online.
She started getting emails and responses – including one from Kate Winslet’s Golden Hat foundation (http://www.goldenhatfoundation.org/) and then she created a Kickstarter Project to move the project into its next phase: http://kck.st/NBCsLo
Here’s what Nedi herself said:
Before three weeks ago, I thought to myself “Who cares if I do my 15 minutes?”
But THEN a little voice said to me, “Samantha would care.”
So, on the off chance that the voice was right, and to keep myself on track: I will tell you that I completed 30 min. the first week, 60 the next, and since yesterday’s call – 90 min!
Much Gratitude and Affection,
NEDI
Inspiring, right?
Those critical voices will always be with you. I’ve never met an artist who didn’t struggle against them. Me included.
It’s up to you to decide if they get to run the show.
I can’t guarantee you that getting your work out there will always lead to success.
I can guarantee you that not getting your work out there will always lead to feelings of failure.
If you would like a very inexpensive way to get some additional encouragement and support, you might enjoy participating in the extremely groovy membership club I’ve started — we’re having a blast!
Please let me know how it goes for you.
Remember: The World Needs Your Art.
A PRAYER FOR THE CAPABLE
And as you stand there
On time and
Appropriately clad for the event
With a high-fiber bar in your bag
And extra pens
Let us take this moment to applaud you.
You, the prepared.
You, the accomplished.
You, the bills-paid-on-time and the-taxes-done-in-March.
You, who always returns the shopping cart.
You, who never throws a tantrum.
While the moody, the irresponsible, the near-hysterical and the rude seem to get
All the attention
Let us now praise you.
Just because everyone always expects you
To do well
Does not make it any less remarkable
That you always do so well.
So thank you.
For picking up the slack
For not imposing
For being so kind
And mannerly
And attending to all those pesky details.
Thank you for your consideration
Your generosity
For always remembering and never forgetting:
That a job well done is its own reward
That the opportunity to help someone else is a gift
That the complainers, the cry-babies, the drama queens, the never-use-a-turn-signals, the forgetful, the self-involved, the choleric, the phlegmatic and the your-rules-don’t-apply-to-me-types
Need you to rebel against in order to look like rebels.
You provide the lines – for without the lines, what would they color outside of?
So take a minute
To pat yourself on the back
And say, “Job well done.”
And as you consider someday
Showing up stoned
Or unprepared
Or not at all
And as you imagine someday being imperious
Or demanding
Or the one with the temper
Hear the unspoken “thank you” from a
Grateful nation that is a
Better, smarter, calmer, easier, friendlier and more organized place
Thanks to you
And your dogged diligence.
You are beautiful.
You are precious to us.
You are the hand that calms the water, the wheel that never squeaks, the one we all rely on
And while you probably would have remembered to send a thank-you note,
We forgot.
And just because everyone always expects you
To do well
Does not make it any less remarkable
That you always do so well.
And I would tell you to take the afternoon for yourself
Or sleep in tomorrow
But I’m pretty sure you already have plans.
So just take this very moment right now
To appreciate you
And all that you have done and done well
Even by your own high standards.
And remember:
You are beautiful.
And just because everyone always expects you to
Do well
Does not make it any less amazing, delightful or delicious that
You always do so well.
© Samantha Bennett 2014
Does the fear that someone might describe your work as “bad art” inhibit you?
Consider this…
What if there is no such thing as bad art?
What if anything that makes a connection between one heart and another is automatically good?
Even if it’s cheap or derivative or commercial or offensive or tacky or silly or glib or boring or has poor technique….
So what?
There are fingerprints on it.
And that’s what makes it beautiful.
P.S. Is there a piece of “bad art” that you love? Why not spend 15 minutes making a quick homage? Or maybe whip up some “bad art” of your own right now?
For extra bravery points, you could even post it on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OrgArtCo/ I’d love to see/hear what you’re up to.
Yours,
Sam
Here’s a short reflection on life’s ups and downs written during a bit of a low point this past fall. I find it oddly comforting.
Even the stars fall.
Ascension is not better.
Descending is not worse.
Depth is good.
And the ride down is a breeze
As soon as you stop telling yourself that it’s not.
The ride up can be breezy, too
As soon as you drop the story about
The ladder and the struggle.
In fact, maybe it’s you who is
Standing still
with the Universe orbiting your perfect self.
The Isle of Skye
What if there was
another you who lived on the Isle of Skye?
And what if, in the soft light of that
other home,
you forgot to think the thoughts
that hold you back?
What if, in the mist,
you knew all,
you forgave all,
and you remembered to be
oh so gentle with yourself?
What if you, on the Isle of Skye,
could just breathe,
wearing a warm sweater
and half a smile?
And what if your heart’s own work just flowed out of you –
lipping in between the endless hills and endless sea – a balm unto the world?
© 2014 Samantha Bennett
