When you stand up and reveal the truth
…something changes.
A powerful idea is born. A potent conversation opens. A life changes. A possibility becomes a reality.
The pieces mysteriously come together, and something new is created. This is our work.
This is in part, the work of the artist. The one who seeks out that which is beyond definition, and creates something that touches us, provokes us into seeing reality differently.
And it is also the imperative of the merchant. The one who stands in the marketplace and tells people what they have to offer. An act that has us trade, and both grow richer as a consequence.
But it is a mission navigated by the seeker. The one who is drawn beyond the edges of charted territory, and who must continually return, with messages from beyond.
To be a professional today – for you to do your work in the world – you need the posture of all three.
You must make your art. But you must also sell your wares. And you must listen to what is tugging at your sleeve.
And you? You’re the hero on the journey. Weaving together the unique strands within you. Answering the call of your true work.
The Natural New Year: Realigning Ancient Time-Cycles
Despite what our calendars tell us, now is a wonderful time to engage your new year energy. I know we’re in March, and our “New Year” was supposed to be two months ago, but as I’m going to explain, this tradition is actually a relic of bureaucratic decisions made a long time ago. We’re running […]
read articleThis is the road less traveled
This is not the material road that is judged by fame and riches. It is not the spiritual path where you just be yourself and stay above doing the work. It is not the path of the purist who only creates high art, and won’t sell out.
It’s the path of self-actualization. Of discovering who you really are. Saying what you have to say. Helping the people who need your service.
Whatever your medium, your work is to…
- Trust the mystery of the creative process – when you touch people with your art, you fundamentally change what’s possible.
- Embrace the mercantile imperative – when you offer valuable things, it improves the world.
- Seek the truth – when you follow the yearning of the soul, you will discover who you really are.
It is not the easy path. But it is the powerful path.
It is the sacrifice of comfort and safety for the opportunity to face your deepest fear, and discover your greatest gifts.
This is the hero’s journey of our time – to live as an artist in the marketplace, drawn onward by something beyond you.
RECENT ARTICLES
The Natural New Year: Realigning Ancient Time-Cycles
Despite what our calendars tell us, now is a wonderful time to engage your new year energy. I know we’re in March, and our “New Year” was supposed to be two months ago, but as I’m going to explain, this tradition is actually a relic of bureaucratic...
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Reclaiming The Artist Within
There is a deep art to the work you do. No matter the form, no matter the specialism, your artistry and creativity are crucial for meaningful work. Creativity, I believe, is a function of the Artist within us—the archetypal character that makes...
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Going to the Bottom of the Well
Life is a series of ups and downs. Anyone who’s lived one and thought about it will attest to this universal truth. Sometimes life feels amazing. We’re in flow, high on the joy and achievement of what we’re doing. It seems as though the gods have...
read articleStepping deeper into the arena
I believe we’re entering a new chapter. And we need a new hero, a new generation of heroes.
I believe that these ideas are universal. Not that they are interesting or useful to everyone. But that they are based on universal human archetypes.
These are the principles from which I work.
I test them in my own life, and if anything makes me a great writer or powerful coach, it is the fact that my work rests on these foundations.
You can think of them as the three legs of a stool. If you strip any one leg from the triad, you will topple the platform upon which you must stand.
So I hope these ideas speak to you.
I hope if they do, you listen, and step deeper into the arena.
