How to Find the Work You Love
“The quest for work you love – it all begins with the two simple questions: Who am I? and What in the world am I doing here?”
- Laurence G. Boldt in How to Find the Work You Love
Ah, yes – the “simple” questions. Right up there with “Want fries with that?” – “What is my purpose on this earth?”
Who are you? Want fries with that?
I don’t know my purpose just yet, but I figure the best way to find it is by living mindfully. For me, that means striving to align my external existence with my inner one. Whenever I feel like something in my external life is hollow – that I’m just going through the motions with it – I know it’s time to make a change, large or small. (more…)
The Artist’s Way
“Life is a creative endeavor. It is active, not passive…When we experience our lives as flat and lackluster, it is our consciousness that is at fault. We hold the inner key that turns our lives from thankless to fruitful.” – Julia Cameron
In The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron writes about two essential tools for creative living: (more…)
Growth Potential
“Our ability to grow
is directly proportional
to our ability to entertain the uncomfortable.”
- Twyla Tharp
Artists’ Origin Stories
Superheroes have origin stories; so do artists. Origin stories tell us how superheroes gain their powers and dedicate their lives to fighting crime. For artists, origin stories are descriptions of the moment, or series of moments, when someone realizes, “I need to make art” — and then does it.
Take, for example, this story from micro-sculptor Willard Wigan – but first, take a look at one of his sculptures:
One of Wigan's "micro-sculptures" features the Obama family standing in the eye of a needle
Now, the origin story:
“It began when I was five years old…I started making houses for ants because I thought they needed somewhere to live. Then I made them shoes and hats. It was a fantasy world I escaped to where my dyslexia didn’t hold me back and my teachers couldn’t criticise me. That’s how my career as a micro-sculptor began.”
And here’s photographer Sharon Montrose: (more…)
Trust Your Gut
“If I have learned anything in this lifetime,” a friend recently wrote to me, “it’s that I need to trust my gut.”
I couldn’t agree more – but oh, it can be terrifying. It can be so hard that it feels physically impossible. But the alternative – living life like you’re playing a role in someone else’s play – is so much worse. I’d rather the pain of the band-aid ripping than a constant, gnawing pain that won’t go away. (more…)
