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Being The Artist Of Your Own Life
Creativity is something we are all capable of. Every
wonderfully unique one of us has the capacity to live
our life in our own original and different way. So it
seems a shame to divide our understanding of humankind
into those who are creative and those who aren't. And
while we're at it, let's not restrict the definition
of an artist purely to those who paint well either.
Artistry can be achieved in any sphere. And for me,
the greatest ambition we can aspire to is artistry in
the art of living itself.
The first step to being the artist of your own life
is all about taking responsibility for the shape and
course of your existence. That means taking responsibility
for what happened in the past, taking responsibility
for what's occurring right now in the present, and taking
responsibility for the direction you choose to navigate
into the future. When you abdicate responsibility for
any of these, then circumstances will take over and
you'll find regrets in your past, discomfort in your
present and uncertainty awaiting you in the future.
Artistry is more than just taking responsibility, though.
You can take good responsibility without necessarily
exercising any creativity in your decision making. It's
generally more comfortable, of course, to go with the
flow of what's acceptable in your social circle - to
follow trends and conventional wisdom, and to keep up
with the Joneses. But is it fulfilling? On a surface
level, maybe, but dig a little deeper and you'll find
your own individual needs and wants, dreams and desires,
passions and giftedness crying out to be allowed to
be different. When you're ready to heed their cry, this
is the point where you can begin to buck the trend and
to shape your life with some creative decision making.
But life artistry is more than just creative decision
making too. Being an artist involves considerable skill,
practice, perseverance and dedication. Before you can
call yourself an artist in your chosen field, you have
to progress through 3 preceding stages... amateur enthusiast,
seasoned practitioner and master. That means that even
when you've achieved mastery, you've got a further step
to take. Like all the best things, becoming the artist
of your own life is no quick fix.
So when you think about your life as a work of art
and you as the artist, do you know what kind of artwork
you want to create? A masterpiece, for sure, but in
what style, what detail, what vibrancy, what subject
matter? And what skills will you need to develop to
enable you to become a master of this style and subject
matter? What are the first steps you need to take towards
getting started? An artist often begins with rough sketches
- what form will your rough sketches take?
Life planning is a disappointingly dry description
of a process that can be full of creativity, individuality
and vitality. By choosing to be the artist of your own
life, yes, you take on responsibility and yes, you risk
the discomfort of going against social expectations.
But so much more fulfilment awaits when you dare to
persevere towards the glorious heights of artistry.
Author: Mary McNeil
Mary McNeil of Create a Space is an experienced, ICF-certified
life coach who works with artists, writers and musicians,
supporting and encouraging them as they make creative
living a practical and sustainable reality. You'll find
her at http://www.Create-a-Space.co.uk
Keywords : artist,life planning,creativity
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