The Perils of the so-called “Aspiring Artist” —

While there are many things we SAY are important or SAY we want to make priorities in our lives, the truth is our REAL priorities are the things we actually spend our time on each day. . . .

A Video Post, by Sebastian Michaels

Transcript continued:

What we say we want to be means very little. What counts is what we actually do.

So perhaps we aspire to be great photographers or photo artists, and we talk about how we want to make art more of a priority in our lives …

But when you look at how you actually spend your days, how much time are you really putting toward CREATING something, toward mastering your craft?

Think about it.

Are you putting in the hours every day, or are you mostly just daydreaming about it … just sort of hoping that it will happen for you — someday, somehow?

Fact is, if instead of creating art each day, you are spending your time on things like watching TV, checking email, playing games online, or surfing the internet — well, let’s face it, those are your actual priorities.

And if, when you do get to work on something artistic, you keep stopping to check your email or send text messages or peak in on Facebook … well, your art isn’t the priority anymore. Your priority is clearly email, text messages, and Facebook.

Not to say it’s wrong to check your email or drop in on Facebook. But when you are creating, you should be creating. When you are out taking photographs, you should be entirely focused on being there doing that. If you are going to spend a morning working on your online portfolio, you should be totally immersed in only that one creative endeavor.

Everything else can wait.

Seriously.

* Everything else can wait. *

Of course, all this assumes you ARE making the time to devote to your art to begin with.

Because you have to MAKE the time. You have to put it in your calendar. Set an alarm on your phone if necessary. It’s never going to happen unless you engineer your day around freeing up an hour, two hours, three hours to completely focus on your artistic projects.

And then, once you are in it, you need to stay in it.

IMMERSED.

You should turn off your phone and close your email program. Heck, you might even want to completely turn off your internet (or use an app like “Freedom” to assign a set amount of time you won’t be able to go online).

This is how you are going to actually get something done.

And if you do this, if you live this way, if you make art a real priority in your life and treat it like one … you will no longer think of yourself as an “aspiring artist.”

No — you will BE an artist.

I think it’s very dangerous to think of yourself as an “aspiring” anything. Because the risk is, if we aren’t careful, we just end up “aspiring all over the place.” We daydream … and somehow get to thinking that our daydreaming somehow counts. But it doesn’t.

Aspiring to be a great photographer doesn’t do you a darn bit of good until you actually pick up the camera and get busy.

Aspiring to be a great photo artist doesn’t mean a thing until you actually start creating art every day.

Don’t “aspire.” Just do the work.

And when it gets hard (because it will), don’t do what everyone else does, which is to stop and move on to something else …

You’ve gotta stay with it. Put in the hours. Even when it’s tough. (Heck, ESPECIALLY when it’s tough.)

Most people never get really good at anything because they never stick around long enough to attain any real mastery. And because of this, their creative work never shapes their lives in any meaningful way.

Make your art an authentic priority in your life. Choose the days and hours you will devote to your Muse. Then hold to them.

Decide, once and for all, that you are done with daydreaming. Decide instead to CREATE something. And decide, up front, that you are in this for the long haul.

You do that, and you ARE an artist.

“Aspiring” to be something is for schmucks who are afraid to put in the work.

Just decide what you want to be. And be that.

– Sebastian