As an artist (and I do not use this title as one of exclusivity or loftiness - we all may tap into artistry), it is easy to get caught up in comparisons. Some comparisons are good - those that challenge us to think more deeply and move us to another level. All too often, however, those comparisons give fuel to the mean little voice that tells us we are not good enough. They stop us in our tracks and make us question ourselves and our purpose. We take another person's success to mean our failure.
The truth is, success is a shape-shifter. One person's Nobel Peace Prize is another person's Got Out Of Bed This Morning. We all have unique challenges, goals, desires, and places. Why should our success all look the same? Why should our art?
Over time, I think many of us forget why we really love art. We may still feel it, but we let our goals and our competitiveness drive us instead of our love. A five-year-old loves the feeling of paint on his fingers. He loves to push it around the paper and watch it turn into mud. He doesn't care that it doesn't look like anything in particular and he doesn't care that his neighbor did something that looks different. He just wants that feeling of magic coming from his fingertips.
So forget about what is "in" or "relevant" or "deep." All of that will eventually filter through you and make a more elegant statement anyway. Just chase that magic inside your own hands.
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