When you Order Oranges and You Get Lemons
Lemonade Stand Pen and watercolor pencils |
I am not an optimist, and I do not believe that anyone can force a beneficial outcome to occur, no matter how much positive thinking they practice. There are laws of the universe that cannot be altered; even if a short term win is made, by unnatural or unethical means, in the long term nothing good will come from that win. There is always a price to be paid.
That said, I think there are two mental processes that are crucial when following an artistic path: disciplining the mind in order to improve how we react to situations, and being truly open to possibilities. Both mental shifts are invaluable to progressing in anything creative, from experimenting with style or medium, or deciding to submit work to a company or agency, or committing to writing and illustrating a book.
I have found that, even when I do get lemons, if I make that lemonade, and natural, all-purpose cleaner, instead of falling back into the victim mentality, I am more productive, creative, and determined than if I just passively take the lemons, and whine about why I got stuck with them again. While I can’t say that I look forward to receiving lemons with eager anticipation, I now know how best to use them.