Warning: The following might possibly turn into an enormously long winded ramble that will only make sense to a very few. Proceed only if you have all the time in the world.
Consider yourself warned.
Consider yourself warned.
Alright, you chose to proceed, so I won't waste time giving you a second chance. I'm just going to dive right in.
Recently I posted about my little blue funk that I have been in & how I kinda haven't wanted too much to really pull myself out of it. It happens. I'm beginning to realize that it happens more often than I thought among my peers.
***Just to clarify, in this instance the peers I'm referring to are other artists. Not necessarily the dead, rich or famous ones, but more specifically the regular, everyday creative people who like myself, feel art in their souls.***
In realizing that these nasty world halting funks are a fact of not just my life, but my peers' as well, I also realized how important it is to have even just the tiniest circle of like minded/thinking (because there is a difference)/feeling/believing friends. (Kindred spirits for lack of a better term.) You see, even the most solitary of men has at some point, needed a friend.
As any of my close friends can tell you, I majored in 'social butterfly' in school. I have many people whom I consider close friends & even more that I consider good friends & more still that I just call friend. I like people, despite what I say when driving in traffic, shopping in busy stores, dealing with rude customers/customer service reps or in crowds.
Yes, I do exclaim my extreme dislike like for people quite often in these situations, but understand, it is not all people that I dislike. I just have a low tolerance for those people that think the world revolves around them or that take pleasure in treating others as door mats.
Anyway, having a circle of kindred spirits to guide, support, encourage, scold, love, laugh at, yell at & pretty much just be there for you is essential. Even if you never meet physically. I almost want to say it is more important for creative people than others, but that might be taken the wrong way by some & would detract from my point.
You see, I was recently asked/invited to join an organization's (Art Saves Lives International) "Artist Army". In other words, I was asked by a group of artists whom I admire very much, to join other artists whom I also admire in helping to promote art. To spread the love & practice of art. To help raise funds to do so through a donation of one of my pieces to an INTERNATIONAL fundraiser.
To me this is a BIG deal. To me this is a thing to get excited about. Not so much to those chosen few closest to me, who happen to be the first ones I always share news with. Not so to the people in my life who lack the day-dreamy vision & love of random that I possess. Not so to the ones whose approval I seek first.
Sharing the news & getting the reactions I expected to get but were hoping not to get, devastated me. So much in fact that I had almost decided not to participate. Truth be told, I was even hesitant to share the news at all. because I pretty much (quite accurately I might add) predict what the reaction (almost down to the exact wording) would be.
But then I noticed a Facebook post that one of my friends/fellow artists had posted. About the very same thing! This was enough of a crack in the ice, to allow me the millisecond of courage to "approach" aka private message her about it. And my trepidation.
As anticipated, she was excited for me. As excited as I am, as excited as I needed someone to be. She helped me by encouraging me & reminding me that not everyone understands the self doubt that I feel. Not everyone can sympathize with the sheer disappointment I feel when I have (what I classify as) a winning moment. Some people just don't get it.
And that's okay.
If not for this lovely kindred soul, I would have shrunk into a ball & wept endlessly for days. If not for the other kindred souls out there, like the one who introduced me to the online art community that I have now come to depend on so very much, I'd be a miserable rat, just running my route of job, home, job, home in the maze every day. I'd be what I was four years ago, constantly sick, migraines every week, cranky & no fun.
My long winded point is, just because you love someone, you don't have to understand them. Just because someone loves you, doesn't mean the understand you. And that's okay, so long as you have someone else that does understand you.
We all need someone to listen to us. We need someone to encourage us, someone who understands the significance of things that happen to us. It's not a bad thing if that someone(s) is not our husband or parent, child or best friend. It doesn't have to be someone we've met in person (I've only ever physically met like two or three of my creative support circle).
Okay, I think I'm done. For now. ;) Lots of things in the works. Stay tuned. (Periodically of course because why wouldn't you want to change the channel?)
Aloha hugs,
~ Clare
Recently I posted about my little blue funk that I have been in & how I kinda haven't wanted too much to really pull myself out of it. It happens. I'm beginning to realize that it happens more often than I thought among my peers.
***Just to clarify, in this instance the peers I'm referring to are other artists. Not necessarily the dead, rich or famous ones, but more specifically the regular, everyday creative people who like myself, feel art in their souls.***
In realizing that these nasty world halting funks are a fact of not just my life, but my peers' as well, I also realized how important it is to have even just the tiniest circle of like minded/thinking (because there is a difference)/feeling/believing friends. (Kindred spirits for lack of a better term.) You see, even the most solitary of men has at some point, needed a friend.
As any of my close friends can tell you, I majored in 'social butterfly' in school. I have many people whom I consider close friends & even more that I consider good friends & more still that I just call friend. I like people, despite what I say when driving in traffic, shopping in busy stores, dealing with rude customers/customer service reps or in crowds.
Yes, I do exclaim my extreme dislike like for people quite often in these situations, but understand, it is not all people that I dislike. I just have a low tolerance for those people that think the world revolves around them or that take pleasure in treating others as door mats.
Anyway, having a circle of kindred spirits to guide, support, encourage, scold, love, laugh at, yell at & pretty much just be there for you is essential. Even if you never meet physically. I almost want to say it is more important for creative people than others, but that might be taken the wrong way by some & would detract from my point.
You see, I was recently asked/invited to join an organization's (Art Saves Lives International) "Artist Army". In other words, I was asked by a group of artists whom I admire very much, to join other artists whom I also admire in helping to promote art. To spread the love & practice of art. To help raise funds to do so through a donation of one of my pieces to an INTERNATIONAL fundraiser.
To me this is a BIG deal. To me this is a thing to get excited about. Not so much to those chosen few closest to me, who happen to be the first ones I always share news with. Not so to the people in my life who lack the day-dreamy vision & love of random that I possess. Not so to the ones whose approval I seek first.
Sharing the news & getting the reactions I expected to get but were hoping not to get, devastated me. So much in fact that I had almost decided not to participate. Truth be told, I was even hesitant to share the news at all. because I pretty much (quite accurately I might add) predict what the reaction (almost down to the exact wording) would be.
But then I noticed a Facebook post that one of my friends/fellow artists had posted. About the very same thing! This was enough of a crack in the ice, to allow me the millisecond of courage to "approach" aka private message her about it. And my trepidation.
As anticipated, she was excited for me. As excited as I am, as excited as I needed someone to be. She helped me by encouraging me & reminding me that not everyone understands the self doubt that I feel. Not everyone can sympathize with the sheer disappointment I feel when I have (what I classify as) a winning moment. Some people just don't get it.
And that's okay.
If not for this lovely kindred soul, I would have shrunk into a ball & wept endlessly for days. If not for the other kindred souls out there, like the one who introduced me to the online art community that I have now come to depend on so very much, I'd be a miserable rat, just running my route of job, home, job, home in the maze every day. I'd be what I was four years ago, constantly sick, migraines every week, cranky & no fun.
My long winded point is, just because you love someone, you don't have to understand them. Just because someone loves you, doesn't mean the understand you. And that's okay, so long as you have someone else that does understand you.
We all need someone to listen to us. We need someone to encourage us, someone who understands the significance of things that happen to us. It's not a bad thing if that someone(s) is not our husband or parent, child or best friend. It doesn't have to be someone we've met in person (I've only ever physically met like two or three of my creative support circle).
Okay, I think I'm done. For now. ;) Lots of things in the works. Stay tuned. (Periodically of course because why wouldn't you want to change the channel?)
Aloha hugs,
~ Clare
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