Definition

What defines us?

Vague right?

I imagine this goes beyond artists, into each and every one of us. Are we defined by our jobs? Our clothing? Our jobs? Or, our thoughts? I imagine the right answer is our thoughts - except we all tend to find another way.

As an artist, I look at the work I make, but never the process - a fault in my definition. That doesn’t seem to make sense. Perhaps I look at how the work impacts those around me, but that is lunacy because I can not control that. So the rabbit hole gets deeper.

One thing I know for sure, and one piece of advice to those reading, what defines you is something that you get to decide. And whatever you decide on, you need to own.

I am reminded of a story of a village that drank from a poisoned well. All villagers, except one person. As the villages mental state changed, in unity, they all turned on the one person who was not poisoned. And in this case, if you apply it to the real world, they were right. Conformity is a driver of definition, and those that deviate get cast aside.

Deviate.

In your path, whatever it may be, you will decide to do something different, something more special, or something you know is right. You will be tarred and feathered, or worse, ignored. Do not let this change your direction, because when someone comes and fixes the well, everyone will turn to you.