This article was inspired by a text i received a few years ago from a friend of mine.
Our conversation went a little something like this:
Friend: Oh, did I mention I’m writing a book?
Me: OMG!! YOU’RE WRITING A BOOK?!?!? What kind of book?
Friend: A coffee table book.
Me: Can i be in it? {Hey, you gotta get in where you fit in 😉 }
Friend: If I push and make it happen, hell yea. . . I seriously want to move forward with it. I have put it off a couple of years due to a lot of things and I finally feel I’m at a place where I can start.
Of course, i immediately honed in on two things: the getting started but, more importantly, the “I have put it off a couple of years …” part.
That putting-it-off part until this romanticized Disney fairytale time, place, situation, and planets all aligned in a harmonious chi (don’t laugh. i’ve been there too) has killed more dreams, art marking, careers, lives than anything else — including fear.
Putting off our dreams = killing off our dreams indefinitely.
And you know where indefinitely ultimately gets us? Dying with our best work, our best art, our best gifts still inside us.
And that makes me sad because art is air to me. To all of us. And i don’t know about you but i want to consume and fill myself up with as much art as my 5’0 body can handle.
Including my above friend’s book. And this friend/client’s tarot & doula work. And this one.
And yours.
But i/we can’t consume what you are not creating.
i started thinking about all the reasons, excuses, and ways we talk ourselves out of creating and/or doing something about our art now. There are a lot of them. And you know what there’s not a lot of? Reasons to DO your art. To start now. Right where you are. Today, i decided to change that. For you, and for me. (Cause i talk myself out of a lot of shit too. This article is one of them, lol). So, to my dear friend, you, and all the other beautiful creative peeps out there who are teetering on that creative see-saw of to-create-or-not-to-create, to put off or not to put off consider this your sign to DO. To act. To create. Here is your gentle p u s h (46 of them, actually) to get you started NOW and to remind you of all the reasons why you should and need to do your art NOW. And in hopes of balancing out all your excuses not to. {And P.S. Dear friend, i’m holding you to the whole book thing 😉 }_______________
1. Because there’s NEVER a good enough excuse NOT to. Period.
2. You only get one shot in this life in this body and it is your responsibility to make EVERY millisecond of it count.
3. If you didn’t do {enter your art here}, then you are robbing the world of your sheer brilliance, your unique gifts, but most importantly your voice. Your diversity. How YOU see and experience the world. You’ve got a lot of people waiting, counting on, and needing your magic. Don’t let us down.
4. Because you want too (and sometimes there’s no better reason than that) …
5. … and because, no matter your class, race, station, gender, if you are reading this on a computer, smartphone (even if it is borrowed) you still have a certain amount of privilege that leads you to the possibility and potential of can. You can do it. And you can do it exactly where you are right now.
6. Because expressing yourself in a way that connects with others and leaves the world and every individual you encounter in better condition than you found them is the ultimate definition of success.
7. To say a big fat FUCK YOU to all those people who doubted that you would or could “make” or “do” it.
8. But, more importantly, to prove to no other person but yourself that you can do anything you set your mind, heart, and focus to.
9. Because somebody out there needs to hear, see, and experience your story in a way that only YOUR art can tell it.
10. And, damn it, you owe it to yourself to be as flawless as you can be.
11. To feed your soul.
12. And because tomorrow doesn’t come for some people.
13. For the celebration(s), presents, and rewards that will come when you’re done (Cosmos for EVERYONE!)!!
14. Because maybe, just maybe, through the creation process, you’ll begin to see and understand how incredibly magically you really already are.
15. Because it’s time to start taking yourself + dreams + desires seriously.
16. And to inspire others to do the same by being the slay you wish to see! (LINK TO BOOK).
17. Because you don’t want to REGRET not doing it. <– That feels worse than failure ever will. Trust me.
18. Because giving yourself permission to do and fail (or succeed), is the ultimate gift you can give yourself.
19. The act of doing is contagious. Once you figure out how to start, there’s no telling the places you will go.
20. The act of creating is life. By creating, you are living and evolving into your fullest potential.
21.
22. You can do it anywhere, at any time, and without having to ask for permission from anyone except yourself. (How many other things can you say that about?!!?!)
23. Because it will make you happy.
24. And because sharing is caring.
25. It’s time
26. Because i said so. (Only child syndrome. Can’t help it.)
27. And because, if you feel like you have no else, I BELIEVE IN YOU.
28. Because we are ALL connected. And your success means AND breeds our success too.
29. And dreams don’t manifest by themselves.
30. And for TOTAL #braggingrights to EVERYONE: family, friends, colleagues, lover(s), potentials. Your inner hater (and the outer ones too!)
31. You will wake up each morning glowing and radiating good juju + positive energy because you’ve invested in the most important thing in this world – yourself.
32. Because its better for you binge-watching Netflix (although that has its place too!)
33. Because you were meant/destined to do this thing.
34. And the world will implode if you don’t.
(Okay so i might be exaggerating just a tinsy winsy bit … BUT you will back yourself up creatively and that blockage WILL have a negative effect on other areas of your life. Causing you [if not the world] to self-implode or explode at others around you.)
35. Because people who do the things they say they are going to do, who actually create the things they always promised themselves they would are super hot and sexy. And you do want to be irresistible; don’t you?
36. The clubs, your friends, that movie you are DYING to see on Hulu, food, cocktails – whatever – will be there when you’re done. i promise!
37. Its better than an orgasm (and the ecstasy lasts longer!).
38. If not you, who?
39. Because everything that surrounds us was at one point a vision, thought, or dream in someone else’s head. Imagine your favorite things – now imagine what your life would be if that person hadn’t followed through on their dreams. (OMG!!! A WORLD WITHOUT GLITTER + RHINESTONES + DRAG!!!!*GASP* HOW DULL WOULD LIFE BE!???!?!)
40. To make a dent in the universe.
41. … And leave it in better condition than you found it.
42. Because you never know what you’re truly capable of until you’re willing to risk it all.
43. Because Now is all you are promised
44. Storytelling via any art medium is a way to both record and share our history. It is important for you to record your history so that others may learn and grow from it.
45. To heal society, our communities, ourselves.
46. Whatever you create is a bridge of yourself to others and a love song to the universe.
And one more to grow on…
BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T SOMEBODY ELSE WILL!
There you have it friends.
46 reasons why you need to create/do your art NOW.
But here’s the real tea: Just reading this list doesn’t count as action towards your dream.
You still need to get up and DO THE WORK.
You have to start. And this, for some, is the hardest part.
Which is why i created a free guide and challenge called, The Start Your Art 5-Minute Challenge. Its my most highly requested and popular guide and you can download it for free HERE.
Or click on the picture below.
Download the guide. And get started on your art NOW.
You have all the reasons in the TO DO IT!
xo-b
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