Lessons for the Artistic Soul

You can't run away from your own entity. Why not embrace it? Learning and truly loving yourself is one of the best decisions you can ever make. Trust me.
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1. As you grow older I think you'll find that the things you were once interested in, the things you thought you were so passionate about, will slowly slip through your fingers. But some things are meant to be let go so that new things can be embraced. Life is constantly going, the earth constantly spinning and moving. The world will not wait for you, so don't stop for it.

2. People will tell you that your art's not really a profession. Do not believe them.

3. There's something crazy about being in love. It's like a snake. It's going to weave its way into every piece of art you create until all of your words and all of your brush strokes and all of your melodies seem to palpitate with the same rhythm of your lover's humble heart. It is going to control the diction, the beat, the speed of your normally harsh and brutal style and turn it into something soft and gentle and passionate. Let it. Learn from it. It's one of the best moments of being an artist. Passion atop passion. What more could you ask for?

4. Confidence is key. And believe it or not, but you're your own worst enemy. If you spend your days and nights dissecting and analyzing each component of your art--or your life and self for that matter-- you'll live in a never-ending cycle of misery and "not being enough". Embrace it and make it anew. You are more than another inhalation of oxygen. More than another heartbeat. More than another body. You are a person and a vibrant soul and you do matter. You do have an impact. You do make a difference. You count. Your life is literally in your hands. Do something with it.

5. Encourage others to explore their art. Whether they are three, thirteen, or thirty, everyone needs a little push sometimes. Who knows, you could be the difference between someone saying: "I could have" and, "I did".

6. Don't waste your time on things that don't interest you. Books, movies, fruits, whatever. If it bores you, move on to something else. Life's too short to sit and complain all day about something you don't enjoy. Find something you're passionate about and worth your while.

7. No one is going to do anything for you. If you want something done you have to go out and do it yourself. Push yourself. Motivate yourself to become more.

8. Regret is a waste of your time. You will spend late nights and early mornings and all the time in-between thinking of what you could have, should have, or would have done: but you didn't. And that's okay. Keep moving forward. Don't get caught in the past, it's not going anywhere.

9. My best friend told me: I think in the end we all become who we're meant to be anyway. I told her she was right. Don't be afraid if you veer away from who you think you are, who you really are will always prevail and shine true, you just have to be brave enough to embrace that.

10. If there's any one thing you remember from everything here, remember this: You are yourself, a work of art. But you are more precious than wistfully arranged words or carefully executed brushstrokes. You are more beautiful than even the perfect pliè. Or just the right intonation. Love yourself. Self-love is pure love, as all love should be. But if you go through life devoting all of your time and energy towards only loving and appraising others, what have you left for yourself? In the end, there must be a balance. After all, you can't run away from your own entity. Why not embrace it? Learning and truly loving yourself is one of the best decisions you can ever make. Trust me.

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