This week was a good week. Quite a few things that I’d been meditating on came together and I can definitely say that this reaffirmed what I was already thinking. This directly inspired the illustration that adorns this post. I’ve loved Picasso’s work for a long time — I would definitely cite him as an influence on me and my work. I’ve long admired his attitude in addition to his genius level output. Picasso’s attitude is something that most artists should adopt. The man simply did not give a shit about what anyone thought, and had no problem telling them so. If he was busy, he made it known. If you asked a stupid question, he would tell you…and he didn’t care if you were offended.
Attitude is essential for anyone who’s striving to achieve a goal. The fact is, not everybody’s going to understand. There’s a myriad of reasons as to why people will try to throw you off your path: they had a dream and never followed it; they failed at achieving their dream; they were told that they weren’t capable of achieving their goal and believed it; they’re jealous. There’s no mystery to this, it’s the way it is. Anyone striving to achieve a goal has to go through a nonstop barrage of negativity from everyone: strangers, acquaintances, family, friends — they all do it. Depending on the type of person you are, these people can break you, and kill your enthusiasm or, they can drive you to succeed. I’m not exactly sure what it is that makes the difference. Perhaps, it’s something you’re born with or, perhaps, it’s something that develops over time as you slowly but surely develop a thick skin to people’s nonsense.
One thing that has benefited me is getting older. You get to a point in life where you say, “Enough, I’m done.” At risk of sounding crude, you get fed up with all the bullshit. Realizing this is something that changes you. It applies to everything and it will change you from the inside out. It really is something. People exhibit this in different ways based on who they are; some make it plainly obvious while others will keep quiet and let it get noticed through their actions. I’m grateful for reaching this point in life. I have my health, my amazing wife, and my work has continued to mature and evolve. Despite the obstacles that I’ve had to face over the years, I continue to pursue my goals. The fact that I continue to do this says it all. Onward, ever onward.
