Despite the stereotype of artists being a complete mess, consumed by addictions, having no discipline, I’m going to argue that actually pursuing art requires mastery of the mind and basically being on a path of personal development. I hate that artist stereotype… for many years it turned me off to art completely. Which maybe is it’s true purpose. I couldn’t even consider art because I always thought, well people are going to think I’m like that. Which now I see is stupid in and of itself. Why did I care what people would think? I think it’s another mainstream concept that’s just shown to you over and over again until you accept it as reality. But it doesn’t have to be your reality.

I’m not saying this type of person doesn’t exist.. most certainly it does exist, but that’s not the majority of successful artists. In addition, there are many people like that who have nothing to do with art. In fact, everyone starts from step 0. Personal development is going up from step 0 by mastering the mind. How far you want to go is up to you. I think of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Spiral Dynamics. The first step is getting basic needs met. You can’t do much before you do that. Then, you start getting to various degrees of discipline (or motivation), eliminating distractions and problems from your life. All of which depend on you, your mind. You need clear boundaries and can’t allow people to push past them. I don’t hang around with people who act like the artist stereotype, artist or not. I don’t want or put up with drama in my life. I have things I’m focusing on and a vision for my own life.

This wasn’t always the case. I think you have to have experiences to know what you want or (even more importantly) don’t want in your life. This is difficult to do. There are people who seem to exist to cause problems in others’ lives and we all run into them to various degrees. They are unconscious and wont change just because you want them to. In my experience, a big part of the quality of my life reflects who I allow to be in my life and I see this all around me in many different ways. I’m more than ok with being alone for a while and you have to be. Part of personal development is being ok with being alone. You need alone time to figure stuff out for yourself. How can you do it if you are always around other people, who have an influence over you? For example, if you desperately need someone in your life (because you rely on them in some crucial way), they have power over you and they know it, consciously or unconsciously. Awareness is the first step. No one can make you aware. No one. Initially, it feels like you don’t have a choice. The default setting is just putting up with things, just going with the flow, and being lazy. I’m not judging here. If that’s what someone wants to do and they are happy – well, what’s the problem? Many years ago, I wasn’t happy being like that though.

Without personal development, I wouldn’t have been able to stick with anything. It requires confidence, belief in yourself, staying true to yourself over other people, not needing approval or validation, and massive persistence to stick with something long term. Especially something like art, which many perceive to not have any value. Of course, they are thinking about monetary value. The qualities above are all products of a strong mind, one that is developed over time. Otherwise, you get sucked into other peoples’ agendas. You serve their interests. This has happened to me many times, especially when I was younger. Ever notice that’s what the majority of people are doing? If you can be satisfied doing that, it wouldn’t be a problem. The issue comes in when you feel the lack of authenticity, which is inevitable if you are doing something for approval or validation that you genuinely don’t care about. Then, it makes you vulnerable to harmful things used as coping mechanisms, like addictions that can jeopardize your health and mental well being.

I’m not saying you never have to do things you don’t want to do. Actually much of life is that. The key is having your own goals, your own vision for life that over arches the small things everyday. For example, most of us need money to survive. How will you make that money? Can you do it with a job you love? I’m not sure there’s a job out there I’d love, at least I haven’t found one, but there’s other things I can do. Can you do it in a more efficient way? That’s why I went back to school to get a degree in programming, when I really had no reason to do so. I just had a vision. Or maybe you can live well beneath your means (another thing I did and still do). Even with working a job, I now do it part time. I have time for my art and music. I have time for myself and relationships. This was the way it worked out for me. Had I not gone back to school for that second degree, I guarantee I wouldn’t be in this situation. Yet, most of the people around me at the time didn’t get why I’d go back to school. Personal development takes you out of autopilot. It’s helped me see what I truly want vs what I’ve been programmed to think I want or what I feel I ‘should’ want. It’s made me aware I need to exercise daily, and I have been doing so for the last 4 years. It made me realize I need to eat healthier. All these things affect my art and my ability to keep doing art and the other things I love doing, there are many. It is not a given that you get to live to age 80 or 90. It is not guaranteed or something that everyone gets. Taking your amazing body and mind for granted can lead to massive suffering as you get older, it’s no joke.

There are people who criticize personal development or self help. I think that’s a cop out. Because if you wont help yourself, who will? No one will force you to improve yourself, not for your benefit anyway. We know many of these things logically. I knew all this, but for years didn’t take action. That’s the difference. Personal development, to me, is personal insights and then taking action. I know I wont convince anyone of anything. That’s not my intention, anyway. I’m speaking to myself, someone who is how I was. I had a feeling there was more. And the things I read that other people wrote inspired me, made me care. I hope to pay that forward.