Zack mentioned recently watching the documentary It Might Get Loud. I watched it last night and even if you don't know anything about Jimmy Page, The Edge or Jack White, you can draw some great conclusions about art and artists from watching this movie.
It's clear to me that those three musicians are masters at their art because they will never stop learning, absorbing and innovating. Music Always Comes First. And none of them rest on their achievements.
It makes me realize with sheepish shame that no matter how much I profess to love writing, it's not--at this moment--paramount to my existence. I put other things before my book--including writing this missive. While I've moved some priorities around in the last year, there are more that could be nudged aside, reduced or eliminated to make that much more time for my book.
I'm not saying that all you need to do is live and breathe your art and you'll get accolades and financial rewards. A lot of that involves the fancy of those in acquisitions and the whims the public. But if my art isn't top of my priorities, I shouldn't be surprised when I don't make progress. Level of commitment will be reflected in the level of progress toward getting better in our craft.
The more you do anything, and the more frequently you do it, the better you get. True, we can't all be Shakespeare, but we can all take our particular gifts and take them to the highest pinnacle we are meant to attain. Sales or praise don't reflect this. Only you know if you could be doing more or aiming higher.
If you've ever followed Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, you know this mantra, directed toward the source of all creativity: You take care of the quality, I'll take care of the quantity. Quantity of time and effort we put into our creative efforts is, really, all we can control.
It's clear to me that those three musicians are masters at their art because they will never stop learning, absorbing and innovating. Music Always Comes First. And none of them rest on their achievements.
It makes me realize with sheepish shame that no matter how much I profess to love writing, it's not--at this moment--paramount to my existence. I put other things before my book--including writing this missive. While I've moved some priorities around in the last year, there are more that could be nudged aside, reduced or eliminated to make that much more time for my book.
I'm not saying that all you need to do is live and breathe your art and you'll get accolades and financial rewards. A lot of that involves the fancy of those in acquisitions and the whims the public. But if my art isn't top of my priorities, I shouldn't be surprised when I don't make progress. Level of commitment will be reflected in the level of progress toward getting better in our craft.
The more you do anything, and the more frequently you do it, the better you get. True, we can't all be Shakespeare, but we can all take our particular gifts and take them to the highest pinnacle we are meant to attain. Sales or praise don't reflect this. Only you know if you could be doing more or aiming higher.
If you've ever followed Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, you know this mantra, directed toward the source of all creativity: You take care of the quality, I'll take care of the quantity. Quantity of time and effort we put into our creative efforts is, really, all we can control.
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