“Collecting the dots. Then connecting them. And then sharing the connections with those around you. This is how a creative human works. Collecting, connecting, sharing.”
― Amanda Palmer, The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help
I want to talk about sharing.
Sharing is hard.
Sharing is scary.
Sharing is the most amazing thing you can participate in.
I've recently entered into an undertaking (shall we call it?)--One that was thrust on me, and that I was initially terrified of. Thoughts ran through my head: I can't do this, I'll be left behind, I won't be cared for or loved, I'm a mess, I can't do this, I have to do this.
I was so panicked that I made myself physically ill trying to hold it all inside of me.
And this made me panic even more, because the further into it I got the more possibilities of amazingness I saw for the venture. The more avenues of love, joy, support, and mutual awesome-tude I saw. But I didn't know how to make them happen and I was afraid that people would see my fear and tell me this was bad for me and that I would lose out on all of the wonderfulness because I was afraid. Or worse that my fears were right and the awesomeness was a pipe-dream, a delusion.
How can you share fears like that? Especially if you're afraid that the act of sharing them is what will cause them to come true? It's an unbelievable burden to bear.
Now I know that the quote at the top is about art and the imperative to share art, but art is human experience examined and filtered through aesthetics. It's as Amanda says, collecting the dots around you in the world and putting them together and sharing them. Such a big leap to look around you and at yourself, collect and connect the dots of your life and world and bigger to share that with someone. To vulnerably open up your life and experience and aesthetic choices.
She also writes:
“Eat the pain. Send it back into the void as love.”
― Amanda Palmer, The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help
As this venture has gone forward, the best and most wonderful times have been possible when the sharing has happened. When instead of keeping it inside, I or those involved have shared. Joy, love, and especially fears. Crazily, sharing the fears--as breakable as that feels to be that vulnerable, sharing those fears has made the most joy possible. Has made the exciting and awesome "more" into a tangible thing.
Sharing I think is a huge form of love it's also a huge step of trust. Stepping out and opening yourself. Which is I think one of the biggest act of an artist, which I consider myself to be.
The learning experience that this has been and is being is really unbelievable.
My fears aren't gone, but sharing them has significantly reduced their power, opened up avenues for others to help me fight them, and has made more amazing things possible.
Point being:
― Amanda Palmer, The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help
I want to talk about sharing.
Sharing is hard.
Sharing is scary.
Sharing is the most amazing thing you can participate in.
I've recently entered into an undertaking (shall we call it?)--One that was thrust on me, and that I was initially terrified of. Thoughts ran through my head: I can't do this, I'll be left behind, I won't be cared for or loved, I'm a mess, I can't do this, I have to do this.
I was so panicked that I made myself physically ill trying to hold it all inside of me.
And this made me panic even more, because the further into it I got the more possibilities of amazingness I saw for the venture. The more avenues of love, joy, support, and mutual awesome-tude I saw. But I didn't know how to make them happen and I was afraid that people would see my fear and tell me this was bad for me and that I would lose out on all of the wonderfulness because I was afraid. Or worse that my fears were right and the awesomeness was a pipe-dream, a delusion.
How can you share fears like that? Especially if you're afraid that the act of sharing them is what will cause them to come true? It's an unbelievable burden to bear.
Now I know that the quote at the top is about art and the imperative to share art, but art is human experience examined and filtered through aesthetics. It's as Amanda says, collecting the dots around you in the world and putting them together and sharing them. Such a big leap to look around you and at yourself, collect and connect the dots of your life and world and bigger to share that with someone. To vulnerably open up your life and experience and aesthetic choices.
She also writes:
“Eat the pain. Send it back into the void as love.”
― Amanda Palmer, The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help
As this venture has gone forward, the best and most wonderful times have been possible when the sharing has happened. When instead of keeping it inside, I or those involved have shared. Joy, love, and especially fears. Crazily, sharing the fears--as breakable as that feels to be that vulnerable, sharing those fears has made the most joy possible. Has made the exciting and awesome "more" into a tangible thing.
Sharing I think is a huge form of love it's also a huge step of trust. Stepping out and opening yourself. Which is I think one of the biggest act of an artist, which I consider myself to be.
The learning experience that this has been and is being is really unbelievable.
My fears aren't gone, but sharing them has significantly reduced their power, opened up avenues for others to help me fight them, and has made more amazing things possible.
Point being:
And that's where I leave you.
