Just Another Artist?

*** UPDATE the hardcover of Water So Deep is now available for purchase on Amazon!***

Last weekend, I went to a retreat with a few good friends. We spent our few days writing our tails off (I got 12,000 words done on Legacy, so YAY!) and also took a short break to detour to a nearby writing conference, where two of my friends were on panels.

We were literally there for a total of two hours, and then we left. In that two hours, I ran into quite a few people with whom I am friends or at least acquainted, and those were only a few of several hundred people who were in attendance at this conference.

One of the hazards of publishing these days is that there are so many authors writing so many books, that at some point or another, we all feel slightly lost in the sea of awesome.

My oldest son and I had a discussion this weekend in which he informed me that he’s not sure he wants to go into art as a career field, because it is just too hard to be anything more than “just another artist.” And it’s true. He is a phenomenal artist. He paints, and draws, and creates some amazing things. He has such talent. But unless he fully commits himself to rising above the crowd, that is all he will ever be.

There are those cases in which one special artist or author breaks through the bottle neck on the first try and succeeds in a way that most of us will only ever dream of, but even those people will at some point have to produce a spectacular product in order to keep their audience/fans happy, or they too will become lost in the sea.

But is that a reason to give up? To go a different direction? Maybe for some people. And that’s okay. But for others, it’s not. It’s really not. Because while all artists need to be paid, we are not ALL in it just for money (although, at some point, we have to at least break even with our time and investments*). Some of us are in it for the love of the thing. Or to change the way someone thinks, or heck, to just entertain someone. And that’s enough for those of us who are in it for the long haul.

Anyway, I guess what I’m saying is that there is no such thing as being “just another author/artist.” Each one of us has something important and unique to share, as long as we dedicate ourselves to doing it.

Are you dedicated to something in life?

*To clarify, most authors/artists only make pennies per hour for the work they do. Love of art can only go so far when it comes to survival. Please remember that downloading pirated books/art greatly risks our ability to continue producing more books/art. Please consider our art at least as valuable as a cup of coffee or a soft drink and pay for it. Thanks!

When You Think You Stand Alone

Remember when you were in high school and there was that one group of popular kids? Remember wanting so badly to just be accepted, or to fit in, but feeling like every time you tried, you fell flat on your face?

That feeling of standing alone in a crowded room, screaming, while the world ignores you—it happens to adults, too. I was reminded of this last week when talking to a friend who’d experienced a similar thing in a working-environment. The difference, I think, is that as teenagers, we don’t have the same understanding of the world as the adult versions of ourselves. This makes it both better, and worse.

Better, because usually our adult selves have other people in our lives. People who love us and who depend on us and who are there to make sure our world continues turning. We have that knowledge somewhere in our mind (however deep it’s buried) that we are all people. And people are complex, with insecurities and self-confidence issues, and fear of the unknown.

But it’s worse as an adult because no one—no matter our age—wants to be thrown into a time-warp and sent back to high school. No one.

Here’s the thing. That clique? The so-called “cool kids club”? It’s not really all it’s cracked up to be. It’s fueled by drama, angst, pain, fear—and very, very rarely by joy. Because the people who feel true joy are the people who don’t feel the need to gather their friends into a group and hold tight to the boundaries. People who feel joy are the people who want to share that joy with everyone. People who have true self confidence don’t feel the need to cut others down or stomp on their opinions or words or work or thoughts. People who feel true joy are the people who are a joy to be around.

And those people attract others who know how to find joy. That particular group grows so fast that it ceases to be a group, and tends to be a whole lot of individuals just being friends. Those friends, being individuals, never have to stand alone because they stand for something much, much bigger. An equality of living and a sharing of life, love, happiness, and friendship.

Those individuals will always attract others, and because of that, there is no high-school-themed-clique-style-drama required.

My point is, just be yourself. The best self you can be. And you will never have to stand alone. Unless there are zombies coming. Then you better learn to run fast. 

Taking up the Anti-Bandwagon Banner

In case you ever wonder, no, I’m usually not a bandwagon jumper. Tempting though it may be from time to time, I have chosen to not spend my valuable writing time on blog-hop flash fiction (since I’m really more of a novelist). I am currently NOT joining a great many of my friends in the self publishing “revolution.” And I write what I do because it speaks to me—not because I think it will sell better than something else.

Don’t misunderstand, though. I am a fan of trends. Crusading bloggers? Magic steam-punk vampires? Mass self-publishing push? All great ideas. Brilliant in some aspects. And I wish all the best for those who are brave enough to take such risks and move forward on these uncharted paths. I applaud them. Admire their guts and spunk and bravado.But for now, none of these paths feels like the right one for me.

In other words, I am choosing the road less traveled by. Or maybe less recently traveled by? Or by fewer of my immediate friends, at any rate. Because it’s what I believe is best for my family and my future.

And that, my friends, is what *I hope* will make all the difference.

What recent things have you chosen to do differently from others?

Little Extras

My son got a job last week. This is a huge accomplishment, since he’s been looking for quite a while. In a sign of our poor economy, 350 people showed up to interview for 22 job openings at a newly renovated and reopening theater in town.

My sixteen-year-old, let’s call him Doc, managed to snag one of those 22 jobs. It’s very likely that most of the applicants were more qualified or experienced than him. What did he do to get noticed, to stand out above the other 349 people?

He worked. Most people who applied stayed just long enough to turn in their applications and be interviewed, but Doc stuck around. He realized that this theater was set to open in a matter of days, and there was lots of work still to be finished. So while he waited for the job announcements, he found someone in charge and offered to help, no strings attached. There were maybe five applicants—all kids—who were willing to work without getting paid. All but Doc were girls.

Doc left my house before eight in the morning, and didn’t come home until seven thirty that evening. But when he got there, he was glowing, because they’d offered him a job and given him a first day schedule.

That’s what he did to stand out and be noticed. To rise above the sea of others who all either needed or wanted that job as badly as him.

We all want something in life that seems either unattainable or just out of reach. The question is are we doing everything we can to rise above the other people who want similar things? Are we giving back to the community and to the world, or do we just expect to be “chosen” on our excellent qualifications and pretty smiles? Sometimes it comes down to all the little extras. Do you want your big thing bad enough to work for it?