“All art is a kind of confession, more or less oblique. All artists, if they are to survive, are forced, at last, to tell the whole story; to vomit the anguish up.” - James Baldwin
Ah! To submit one’s self to the horrifying ordeal of being known. That’s where love lies! It is also the key proponent toward an artistic existence, according to Mr. Baldwin.
Why, then, do we run away from vulnerability?
Because it’s hard, obviously. Opening up your heart to let other people look inside? That’s a surefire way to get hurt. I think what I’ve learned the most in my years, however, is that it doesn’t matter who looks inside of you — what matters is how you respond to their reaction. You can protect yourself and project yourself. You can be kind and compassionate toward yourself, and that allows you to be kind and compassionate toward others.
If you don’t have that kindness for yourself above all, then everything is out to get you. The truth is, though, nothing is out to get you. The shadows you see chasing you come from you.
If I could say one thing to my younger self, it would be to stop hiding. To stop running. Everywhere you go, you will be there and there’s nothing you can do about that. Acceptance is the key to prosperity. Learning yourself is the key to acceptance. Art is my key to learning myself. What’s yours?
This is a short blog post, of course, but I just want you to know that if you’re out here trying, you’re making a difference. If you’re willing to look inside all the darkest corners of your heart and transmute it into something beautiful, then you’re already there. You’re changing the world. Light can’t exist without the dark, nor the dark without the light. Let yourself be both, have both, and surrender to both. Only then will you open the door to your conscious awareness and grow.
The choice is yours. Just know that whatever you choose, you are adding to the collective consciousness. If you don’t like to look at your individual role inside of the world, think, perhaps, how you can give back. Help others, and let your light shine through service, through creativity, through love. I believe in you!