Finding Your Own Voice

We live in the era of remakes: old films, old TV shows, old music, and old ways of thinking are all being redone. It's almost as if society has lost its creativity. But maybe it's more like people have become lazy, too lazy to put the work in, in order to be creative. This is where your practice comes in.

 Life is a spiritual practice

 Realization. It's a key to moving your art forward, to finding your own voice. I think a lot of people just go through the motions, or are really not aware of what they are doing. There is no purpose to their actions. This can be seen in all the copycat work out there today. Instead of taking responsibility for their own actions, too many people seem to want to build off of what someone else has done. 

 It's important to be clear and cognizant about who and what you are. Let me repeat that:
It's important to be clear and cognizant about who and what you are.
Who are you? You need to ask yourself this everyday. You need to define yourself, but also realize that this definition will change over time as you grow, move in different directions, and discover new elements to what you do. I am not who I was a year ago, 5 years ago, 20 years ago. All the life experiences I have gone through have kept me constantly redefining who and what I am. Personally, I don't want to be the same as I was a year ago, even if what I was, was amazing.

I have left more things behind than I can remember, but it was all in the interest of moving forward, of becoming something else. It's not the easy path. Copying, or redoing old ideas, is the easy way. Striving to find the new takes motivation, stamina, and courage. This is where art as a spiritual practice really comes into its own. Instead of just working on your art, you are your art. There is no separation, no demarcation. You are your art. Your art is you. You must be like Shiva the destroyer, destroying the illusions and imperfections, in order to reveal the truth.

 Find your truth.
I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. - John Cage

~ MB



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