Inspiration Fridays! Do you trust your compass?
Do you trust your compass?
I have this friend. He and I like to head out on adventure trips into the great beyond. Two mutts and a compass.
“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” – Mark Twain
I have this friend. He and I like to head out on adventure trips into the great beyond. Two mutts and a compass. We’re a walking Disney classic. Stumbling through brush and boulders, yapping our way through icy streams, and regularly having to check our bearings. We are always course correcting, and that’s how we manage to get out alive. Fatigue and doubt are constant companions. We panic and argue, but what holds the whole thing together, is the knowledge that the compass will always point us in the right direction. Not many people understand how dangerous Lithia Park really is.
When it comes to my art, the compass is internal. I have had to learn to trust its direction even when the rest of the world refuses to acknowledge its existence. The freedom that comes with that kind of trust has been hard won. I’ve made many mistakes along the way and continually live between the polarities of feeling completely lost and knowing exactly where I’m going. The thing is, I keep arriving. The answers show up, and this adventure has been extraordinary.
When nature calls, bring a paintbrush.
What’s the best way to know if you’re on course? Check in with your compass. No one is going to be able to read that thing correctly but you. Not ready for a trip into Death Valley? Start with some little sketches or paintings. Remember to stick to the big shapes and ideas. Avoid getting caught in the weeds and tripped up by the thorns. The big idea around what you are doing will always carry the most power.
Intention and belief is the way for the little dog to win. Paint the things that you love, the things that you are inspired by, the things that you are drawn to. They don’t have to be beautiful, they just have to be yours. They don’t even have to be acceptable. Just don’t get derailed by another person’s doubt. They don’t have your compass.