Never as Planned

One thing that has remained consistent in my endeavors is that the end result is never as I had originally planned. I delight in the surprise of the results of letting go and letting things flow as intuition driven by imagination takes the reigns. To know when to change direction is all about trusting yourself.

If everything always went according to plan this would indeed be a very boring world. Challenges are there to be overcome and some mistakes can become "happy accidents".  What we are anxious about today may be the laughter of tomorrow.

It does help to have a plan but when things change it's imperative to be able to adapt. For instance, when I start a new art project I start with an emotion to set the scene. As I go forward if that emotion no longer fits I cast it aside, it's never an arbitrary decision the trick is to be true to yourself and your creation.

I never planned to fall in love, I never planned to find wonderful and supportive friends, and I never planned to have a creative passion. Now that this is all so I could never imagine living without these truths. To be at ease when things do not go according to plan is a challenge but one worth the effort when the end result is revealed.

This is a cover I did for T.K. Wade's novel "A Wolf in My Bedroom". His stories can be found at www.smashwords.com and www.tkwade.com I highly recommend all his great works. 

Temptation vs Opportunity

Without proper discernment temptation can be confused with opportunity. The nature of things leads us to believe we have to be a wolf among sheep in order to get ahead. Many sell their soul for what they think is a legitimate opportunity that turns out to be a deception.

Temptation is always at the expense of others, we may not see the effects at first but those who we care about will suffer most in the end. Temptation is an easy way out the short-cut that seems like a sure thing. Temptation leads to a dead end always, it is an instant gratification that is unsustainable.

Opportunity is the ability to go to the next level, to do more, and reach our goals. Many make the mistake of waiting for opportunity to knock, but I can tell you from my experience opportunities are made from hard work and diligence. We make our opportunities, there is a such thing as the right place and right time but it is a direct result of being on the right path.

On the path to success many will try to deceive us in an attempt to lead us to an impasse. They will see us as an opportunity to better themselves at our expense. It is up to us to be wise enough to resist temptation and deception, opportunities will come to those who walk the path.

Many Hats

In life we wear many different hats in order to be successful, the greater the responsibilities we take on the more hats we gain. The roles we play are determined by our talents and how much we care. Those who we love depend on us to play our roles to the fullest, they suffer the most when we fall.

Some roles are bigger than others, but anything we do should be done with all our heart. Some roles we don't choose, but opting out is a cowardly move and often selfish. Some roles should be fulfilled by those who are more qualified if they are willing, there is a fine line between helping and controlling.

It is often said "Jack of all trades, master of none" but I prefer the alternative "Jack of all trades, master of none is oftentimes better than master of one". I rather give something my all than sit idle waiting for a master to show up to do it for me. Being self-sufficient means being adaptive, and can be the difference between success or failure.

I wear many hats from day to day, husband, son, brother, friend, artist, business owner, engineer, technician, mechanic, secretary, accountant,  and many others but never sit idle when a role needs to be fulfilled. Being multi-disciplined is a challenge but a labor of love when working towards your dream. I can't wait to see what roles I can play in the future, not for pride but out of pure love and joy.

The Abstract

Everything I have ever created has always started with a thought or feeling that only I could really understand due to the abstract nature. Bringing the abstract into focus has always been the real challenge as well as a real passion. To convey what I see in my mind without words comes naturally as there are no words to be found.

The abstract can be an idea in it's simplest form that later blossoms into something more complex and focused or it can stay just as it is. That's the beauty of the abstract it is whatever we want it to be, it's all about expression of our thoughts and feelings. We decide what path to take to fulfill our vision for better or worse.

The greatest part about the abstract is the fact that it's pure potential, a simple idea can turn into a world changing invention or business plan for example. It just takes imagination and drive to go from abstract to tangible. A thought or feeling not expressed is wasted potential.

As an artist one of the greatest things we can accomplish is to cause someone else to feel and understand your own abstract thoughts and feelings without explanation. You are sharing your soul with another, the ability to connect on that level goes beyond any language barrier.  To fully understand one another is a step towards love for one another.