“Never say die”

Countdown to Publication: 41 Days – She Writes.

Anything is one of a million paths. Therefore, a warrior must always keep in mind that a path is only a path; if he feels that he should not follow it, he must not stay with it under any conditions. His decision to keep on that path or to leave it must be free of fear or ambition. He must look at every path closely and deliberately. There is a question that a warrior has to ask, mandatorily: Does this path have a heart?”

Today’s post is one about “Not Quitting”. I have been reading a lot of posts online this week about writers not quitting. Often times as a “Creative” our worst enemy is ourself. When you strive for success in the field of the Arts – Writing, Photography, Art, Music – you are held against a benchmark of what’s POSSIBLE and what’s simply a DREAM or a FANTASY. Society tends to look at us Creatives with pity and dismissal. We are seen as “Dreamers” with “Heads up in the clouds”. They describe us as EMOTIONAL and SENSITIVE. At best we are TEMPERAMENTAL and at worst we are UNSTABLE and UNPREDICTABLE. I am not saying that any of these descriptions do not fit a CREATIVE.

Yes, we are emotional creatures.

Yes, we are dreamers.

Yes, we are more in tune with being sensitive.

Yes, we can even be temperamental.

But where society sees weakness and childishness I see courage and imagination. Where society sees emotional as a weakness, I deem it a strength. We are human beings. We are emotional creatures by nature. Emotion and Imagination is what sets our genus aside from all other creatures in the world. I see courage because to chase after your dreams in a world where society sees dreaming as childish takes great courage. We face judgement and rejection as commonplace. We are judged as people by what we write, paint, play, sing, photograph. We are not separate from our dreams. Our chosen pathway does not have a Monday to Friday schedule and is not limited to 9-5. Our pathway is our life. It is who we are. To not do what inspires us, to not seek after that elusive muse would rob our bodies of our souls.

Society will not understand your STRIVING after what seems to be an IMPOSSIBLE dream. Society will not understand your NEED to write that story, take that photograph, compose that melody, paint that scene. But Society in the end are the people who buy your book, buy your cd, hang your photograph in their lounge and collect your paintings. So why the contradiction? Why does Society buy your IMPOSSIBLE, your DREAM? Society buys it because they see your soul reflected in your work, they see your vulnerability, your nakedness but most of all they see and respect your courage. Your IMPOSSIBLE has now become POSSIBLE. You are validated. Society still might not understand you but your courage and your “Never say die” attitude in the face of a DREAM and IMPOSSIBLE WILL win them over. They may not understand you but believe me that they want to be you. It takes courage to turn away from the practical route in life and follow a pathway that is not certain. The path we choose in our creative dreams is a narrow one and the one least chosen. It is ofttimes rocky and filled with more dangers and fears then hopes. But it is the only path for us to take to fulfill our personal legend in this world.

““When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”” ~ Paulo Coelho

2011 is like this for me so far…definitely living this quote at the moment. Sometimes in life you just have to ask for what you truly want and I believe that if you ask with the right passion and heart behind it, these things will be achieved. It is the thought of “POSSIBILITY” as an action. If you believe anything is POSSIBLE, then you banish fear and doubt and the POSSIBLE becomes PROBABLE and then becomes REAL.

So today’s Thursday Tips are based on what I have written above and what I have read above:

• When you want something – put it out there. Write it on a piece on paper, place it in a balloon and release the balloon. Let the heavens, sun and moon take care of your dream and desire.
• Believe in yourself – only YOU can be your greatest obstacle to success and only YOU can be the key to your success
• Follow your pathway unswervingly – a slow, steady tread will get you past the rocky areas safely onto smoother ground.
• Visualise your dreams being reality, your impossible being possible.
• Keep a vision board or a vision journal – catalogue your hopes and dreams just as you would diarise and schedule your work appointments.
• Treat your writing, your photography, your art, your music as your career and your lifestyle. When people ask what you do, tell them You are a … Writer / Photographer / Sculptor / Painter / Musician. If you believe it and live it, they will believe you and accept you.
• Live your art – immerse yourself in what inspires you. Seek out your muse and your inspiration. Spend time in nature. Let the world in all its little miracles and impossibilities inspire you. If an Oak tree is contained in an acorn, what more is contained within you.
• Do not give up! Do not quit! Take Courage! Press on!
• Rejection is not a failure. Rejection is not a judgement. It is but one rung on your ladder to the stars of success. It is a building block of cement in your palace of POSSIBLE.
• Surround yourself with people who believe in you. Surround yourself with other creative people who understand your fears and hopes. Live creative. Speak creative. Act Creative.

“”Courage does not always roar.

Sometimes courage is the quiet voice

at the end of the day saying:

“I WILL TRY AGAIN Tomorrow””

~ Mary Ann Radmacher ~

“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’s opinions drown out you inner voice.

And most important,

Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

They somehow already know what you truly want to become.

Everything else is secondary.

~ Steve Jobs ~

Live your art. Be your art. Breathe your art. It is this that makes you unique and special. Nobody else has your voice. Nobody else has your pathway. Nobody else can be You. Your pathway is one that will teach inspiration and courage in others. Your art is one that will fuel imaginations and create dreams. Your pathway is a noble one. The calling to be creative is given to many but heeded by few. Take up your calling with honour and pride. You are burning new pathways for those that come after you. It is the creatives in our world who burn bright paths that guide millions. You are one of these bright lights in a dim place. Shine brightly. Even a tiny match can brighten a darkened hall. That is the power of creativity, art and imagination. It is this power that you have the unique ability to harness. This sets you apart in a world of ordinary and cynical. Be set apart and the rest will follow your trail.

 

© All Rights Reserved Kim Koning.

Related Articles

• Fear Is A Good Thing, Just Don’t Indulge (blogs.forbes.com)
• Beyond Ego (rightbraintherapy.net)
• Colouring outside the lines (dragonflyscrolls.wordpress.com)
• The Stuff That Dreams are Made of: Part Ii (socyberty.com)