Today I came across a quote that was attributed to Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia (a company whose mission and culture is worth studying, btw). After a bit of digging, I discovered that the quote was actually said by François-René de Chateaubriand, a French philosopher who founded Romanticism in French literature. I could reflect further on the quote and the ideas therein, but I think it stands nicely on its own.
“A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both.”
Those whispering voices in my head just won’t shut up.
“That blog post isn’t good enough to publish.”
“People won’t like that photograph.”
“Everyone else’s photos are way better than yours.”
“Don’t hit publish yet. Keep working on it until it’s better.”
“You don’t really have much of value to write about.”
“You really aren’t all that creative.”
Damn you, whispering voices! #shakesfistatsky
This year I’ve been working hard to develop new creative rhythms in my life. Given that it has been a month since I last published a post on this blog, it’s evident that I have a long way to go.
I could look to inspiring quotes to keep me on track.
“It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.” — Myquillyn Smith
If we are not willing to fail we will never accomplish anything. All creative acts involve the risk of failure. — Madeleine L’Engle
Despite the fits and starts, I’m not going to give up. I’ll miss a day here. I’ll miss a day there. But I’ll always get up the next day, put my butt in chair and write, one passage at a time. Not only that, but I’ll also draw, color, cut, tape, remix, glue, sing, photograph, print, build, and dance. I’ll keep pressing forward to build stronger creative rhythms and output.
And in the spirit of creating, below is a photo of the first page of my new journal. H/t to Snoopy (and The Nester) for the reminder that it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.
This “paper and pencil” notebook is my semi-private home for writing, drawing, and creating collages. I won’t often post photos of my journal here on this blog. So, follow me on Instagram for periodic snapshots of my journal and other visual work.
