The Greatest Work of Art

YOU are your greatest work of art. How often do you choose not to consider your own design, the colors, the shape of YOU? How often do you spend time doing things to yourself that others INSIST you must do (Madison Avenue advertising scams...).

"Mastering yourself is true power." (Laozi)

Art is a form of power. It brings to light situations, advocates change, preserves a moment in time, communicates. Great art makes us think.

An individual who has artfully created an authentic self...is powerful.

Many fear their own power. Many shrink, hide... don't look at me. Don't see me.

This is not the time to be shy about our gifts. When we go silent, or hide, our gifts become dormant. The world loses.

The art of you...lost.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition." (Steve Jobs)

Heart and intuition creates art. Heart and intuition creates authenticity. Heart and intuition creates a mensch. (good word mensch...It means a decent responsible person with admirable characteristics)

In this world of mediocrity, be fierce, self-loyal and passionately selfish in order to create your own self. Be militant (vigorously active).

Don't copy. Don't mimic. No one knows how you should be. Their plans, their beliefs on how the world is should only be for themselves. The more you follow someone else's "lead", the more of you are lost.

Be brave. Be selfish*. Dominate your own self. Show up at the table...a piece of original art.

(*more on selfish later. The concept of being selfish disturbs many people. You first before others. This is how it should be. Airlines have it correct - "Please place the bag over your own mouth and nose before assisting children...")

Loving this post

Perfect.

Congruence*

The one thing that you can do to give your being more energy, and to reach your goals, is to live in congruence.

Do what you say.
Live your words.
Take action on your thoughts.
Set priorities and then follow-through.

The concept is simple.

When we do not live in congruence, we not agreeing with our own self. Our actions are not in harmony with our thoughts. I would venture to say - we are lying to ourselves.

We are inspired and motivated by those who accomplish the things they say they will accomplish. We hold these individuals up in admiration. We want to talk to them and find out how they did "it." What is the secret to their success? How can we have such success?

Successful individuals know what they want. They set their priorities and then put into action the things that will bring them to their goal.

Actions that are congruent with thoughts/goals/ideas bring success.

*from the Latin congruus, from congruere, to come together, agree

Anti-Competition

Competition among artists is bullshit.
Being each other's muse is amazing.

In a drawing class, the instructor will put 3 pears on a pedestal and say "draw."
Thirty-five students will all look at the same three pears, but each and every one will draw the pears in their own style through their own perspective. 35 students x the number of years the instructor teaches and there will never EVER be two drawings the same. The best part of sitting in a room with thirty-five artists is that they will feed off of each other and push each other to go a bit further outside of the box.

This is what artists do. Rather, this is what we should be doing.
Not sitting around worried about "the competition", but instead feed, push and inspire each other...share knowledge, materials, food, laughs and have each other's backs.

I am looking for other militant artists. Does not matter what you create...whether it is an outstanding life, amazing photography, sensational clothing or unique jewelry...it is about creating - and having each other's backs.

Who's in?

pretty

Yes. Yes. and more yes.

PRETTY

sometimes blank happens

Going at full speed…
sleep…
wake up…
and nothing.

Blank.

No aims
Goals
Desires
Motivation.

Just blank.

No ideas
No creativity
No wild-hair-up-the-butt.

Just blank.

This is extremely uncomfortable
But I am making myself sit in it.

Sitting in the blank.

I know I have problems to solve
Things to do
Art to create
People to meet
Phone calls
Lunch plans

A house to clean.

More than enough to do.
But I feel blank.

Blank is like a clean blackboard.
An etch-o-sketch turned upside down and shaken.

Blank

Perhaps blank is the beginning.
A very good place to start.

A New Tribe

The following thoughts by Joshua Kewish fit very well into the mind of a 'militant artisan.' It is about being authentic and standing in that truth. Many of us are recognizing a new way of conducting our lives...a new tribe is being formed.


According to wikipedia (a dubious source, but good enough to start) neotribalism is “…the ideology that human beings have evolved to live in tribal society, as opposed to mass society, and thus will naturally form social networks around such things as "brand" and corporate imagery "tribes."

Instead of brands and such, the new tribes are forming social networks not bound by the rules of the last 200. Our society lacks support, lacks answers, lacks humanity. The old paradigms of rampant consumerism, hyper-rigid religiosity, and fear as a tool to manipulate are no longer valid. In this environment, many of us question everything and seek new ways of being and people with whom to share this journey.

Perhaps the Great Recession has sped up the process, but I believe many of us were already moving toward neotribalism even if we hadn't consciously realized it yet. Do you long to simplify your life by removing all the crap collected over the last two or three decades? Realized that many of the expenses in your life are not essential after all? Cell phones, cable television, eating out all the time, that daily mocha, etc.

Simplifying is central to the new tribalism. De-cluttering our living environments is symbolic of shedding the consumerist lifestyle, a freeing of one's self from the trappings of a dying way of life. A new friend in my tribe recently said that everything we own actually owns us, that each object takes time and energy maintain, clean, pay for, or even just plain walk around. Neotribalists seek to minimize the clutter by evaluating everything in their lives and keeping only what truly makes life better.

This has led many of us to rethink how we live. Buying local produce and preparing our own meals is both cost effective and very social. Beyond the obvious budget and health benefits, it brings our circle of friends together to both prepare and share meals. Emails, texts, Facebook, Twitter, etc are no substitute for real human interaction in the new tribe. Simple, honest human to human contact is the goal. And if we look deeper, these activities do more for our quality of life by supporting our local economies and decoupling us from the drones still plugged into the vast machine.

The new tribes are a healthy alternative to the failed-mass-society-fear-mongering-group-thinkers. The new tribes are not competitive in the old world sense. They are about people connecting and helping each other to be their authentic selves.

As a final thought, this movement isn't about anarchy or overthrowing the government. It is about making a life that matters. It is about being authentic and helping others to do the same. Question everything and where you find truth, live it.

Peace.