Blog #15
IT IS NOT THE CRITIC WHO COUNTS
If you are like me at all, I often think of quotes as simplistic and cliché and not in the least bit effective in transforming me in any way. I am amazed on a daily basis how wrong I am on almost every subject I think I have a handle on. Therefore, it goes without saying, I am very wrong about quotes. For some reason, even though I secretly think they are useless, I LOVE them. I am drawn to them and am often fascinated by who and what is said and how they can convey very complex ideas so succinctly.
I am a HUGE fan of Brené Brown. I have read most of her books and strive to be as 1/10 the person she believes each individual has the potential to be. I won’t delve into the volumes of brilliant and necessary lessons and ideas she teaches but I will tell you that if you have even a small hint of courage waiting to come crashing out of you, this is the woman to consult. Her books are loaded with gold on the subjects of that very icky word “vulnerability” and other hard to swallow pills like courage and feelings. Ugh, who doesn’t want to run screaming when those subjects cross your eye line. I DO! ALWAYS!
Ironically, the quote I focus on is not by Brené Brown at all, but by Theodore Roosevelt. However, I first laid my eyes upon it in one of her books, Daring Greatly(which I highly recommend), and also one of her favorite quotes. It is “THE MAN IN THE ARENA”.
Now, as an artist, I cannot think of ANY GREATER reading that keeps me from smashing the small volume of canvasses I have piling up in my studio, into oblivion. For as long as breath comes out of my body, there will be critics and naysayers who hint or bluntly tell you that your work is only worthy of lining the dumpsters on their way to the city landfill. I see it everyday and it’s brutal. I am still not used to it nor do I think I ever will be. Unfortunately, it’s life and reality of putting yourself out there in all capacities.
However, there is HOPE, so don’t despair. Getting thicker skin should be a part of your artist's modus operandi. That is where the MAN IN THE ARENA comes in. I won’t dissect it or tell you what parts resonate with me or how to incorporate it into your life. That is for you to decide. Just read it, enjoy it, take it in, and try to apply it to your artist's mindset because it’s a brilliant tool (just like your brushes) for making progress and plowing through the critics with a sense of courage and pride. My girlfriend printed it and framed it to hang directly above my head in my office.
THE MAN IN THE ARENA
IT IS NOT THE CRITIC WHO COUNTS; NOT THE MAN WHO POINTS
OUT HOW THE STRONG MAN STUMBLES, OR WHERE THE DOER OF
DEEDS COULD HAVE DONE THEM BETTER. THE CREDIT BELONGS TO
THE MAN WHO IS ACTUALLY IN THE ARENA, WHOSE FACE IS
MARRED BY DUST AND SWEAT AND BLOOD; WHO STRIVES
VALIANTLY, WHO ERRS, WHO COMES SHORT AGAIN AND AGAIN,
BECAUSE THERE IS NO EFFORT WITHOUT ERROR AND SHORTCOMING;
BUT WHO DOES ACTUALLY STRIVE TO DO THE DEEDS; WHO KNOWS
GREAT ENTHUSIASMS, THE GREAT DEVOTIONS; WHO SPENDS HIMSELF
IN A WORTHY CAUSE; WHO AT THE BEST KNOWS IN THE END THE
TRIUMPH OF HIGH ACHIEVEMENT, AND WHO AT THE WORST, IF HE
FAILS, AT LEAST FAILS WHILE DARING GREATLY, SO THAT HIS PLACE
SHALL NEVER BE WITH THOSE COLD AND TIMID SOULS WHO
NEITHER KNOW VICTORY NOR DEFEAT.
~ THEODORE ROOSEVELT
I also included a link to Brené Brown in case you decide to peruse her website. You may find a nugget or two to help you on your artistic journey.