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Friday, April 2, 2010

A Good Reminder

Reading a blog today on the destructive forces of envy and jealousy, I pulled this quote which is from from The Life and Work of Martha Graham.

"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique.

And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it.

It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions.

It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. ...

No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others."

I had been talking to an artist friend of mine yesterday who was somewhat discouraged by how well another artist's work sold. This betterl-selling artist does not paint anything I would want to own, but apparently her thick paint and bright colors appeal to the general public. It is important to not look at how "well" someone else is doing, and focus on what makes us who we are. This lesson came home to me personally not too long ago.It is important to remember not get caught up in it with all the push of the media, the pust to market, to write newsletters, to push, push, push our way up and out. Slow down, enjoy life!

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