A strange balance

Life in the arts requires the ability to balance a lot of things.

On one hand you need extreme confidence.  You've got to believe that your art is worth seeing.  You've got to be able to look a skeptical, cynical, public in the eye and stand by the quality of your work. 

You can't fake that level of confidence.

On the other hand you need extreme humility.  You've got to be humble enough to grind away at your work day after freakin' day.  You've got to be willing to learn your craft even when the real life of a day job, bills and family are pulling at you.

Basically you need to believe that you're special AND believe that you aren't very special at all.

That's not an easy state of mind to achieve, but it's hard to make it without that balance.

Comments

[Erika Geller]

Amen.

[Mazarine]

I used to have a spiritual teacher who said, don't call yourself an artist. Just say, "I make art." Don't call yourself a teacher. Just say, "I Teach."

I think what you're getting at is that you need to do the work, not be attached to the mask, right?

Mazarine
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[Patrick Smith]

Another way of finding the balance for me is to remind myself that the music I make matters!