Lesson 1: Don’t Be Embarrassed
This part of the passage is motivational because I think many artists can relate to wanting their artwork to be appreciated and accepted by others. With that desire in mind, they believe people have high expectations of them, which can make them anxious and terrified if the outcome is otherwise. As a current VP of graphics for one of the school’s student clubs, I also have the fear/embarrassment of showing others my work or their judgment on it. This passage reminded me that everyone is subjected to their own opinions, but also that it is okay if it is not good, understood, or liked. This ties back to the opening line: “Art is for anyone. It’s just not for everyone.” Embarrassment can hold back an artist from truly doing what they want or intend to.
Lesson 21: Define Success
This part of the passage is interesting to me because I think the response from many artists is that people, in general, define success as having “money, happiness, freedom, “doing what I want”…having people see what I do.” But the author suggests that success is something else—the time to do your work. This stood out to me because time is indefinite, or everlasting. However, for every human being, time is rather definite, in the sense that the clock is ticking, or we are constantly losing more and more time. So with that in mind, I understand what the author is saying: success is having the time to create and develop your work while having the chance to focus on other things outside your career. The author’s definition of success is something that not everyone can achieve.