I'm starting to learn that having passions is a good thing. I used to be afraid of having hobbies and passions and goals. I didn't want to fall in love with something and then have it fall through. When I learned to let down that barrier and let go of fear, then I started obsessing over art. All different kinds of art from writing, to trying my hand at sketching and hand lettering, to dance and even some forms of martial arts.
I don't have this down yet, and there are times where I still fear the things that I let myself get passionate about. But I realize the importance of having such passions. The importance of letting yourself dream. I'm not perfect and I'm still learning. But I hope to help someone see that passions are okay. That chasing your passions and having goals are some of the best things you can do in life.
Start Small
Got hobbies? Dabble with writing or painting? Passions come in all sorts of form, from wanting to run a marathon, to wanting to write a novel, to painting the next Starry Night. Not all hobbies or desires or things you do in your down time will turn into passion. But the thing is, don't be afraid to start. It's intimidating looking at a blank document and starting a big project. It's scary looking at an empty canvas and wanting to paint something awesome. It's scary standing in the hallway at college on the first day. We fear the unknown. We fear new things. Don't. Start small and work your way into what you love. Sometimes, notebook sketching turns into a whole art gallery on Etsy that then turns into real art galleries in museums. But it takes time. And you have to start.
"The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried." -Unknown
Block Out Negativity
With everything you do in life, there will always be haters. There will always be those that tell you that you'll never make it. There are those that will discourage every way they can. Learning to block out negativity is key to pursuing your dreams. Now, don't block out wisdom from those that have been through what you're going through. The ones that have been doing your specific passion longer than you know what they're doing. There are those that will help you from making the same mistakes you did. Be discerning in that, of course. But if you really love what you're pursing, then ignore the ones that don't want you to succeed.
Hold True
Especially for those of you that are fixing to go off to college and are actually chasing after your passions, hold true to what you believe. "Passions are how God conveys His direction." -Nadine Brandes, author of A Time To Die. Don't let others point you in a different direction than what you believe. God puts passions and desires inside of us to fulfill His. Hold true to that.
Let Yourself Dream
I was once told by someone that dreaming was childish and that no one should do it, because disappointment always follows. I completely understand that statement. A lot of people feel that way about letting yourself dream and be wishful.
"The universe is big. It's vast and complicated and ridiculous. And sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen, and we call them miracles." -The Doctor, BBC TV series Doctor Who.
Now, I realize that The Doctor isn't actually talking about God, but how true is that statement? This universe is HUGE and vast and complicated and very, very ridiculous. But it's beautiful. And miracles happen, because we have an amazing God. But you have to believe. And you have to let yourself dream.
Just. Be. You.
This is the hardest thing in society today. People always want to be like someone else, or following the next fad. Looking back on all the greatest artists in time, do you think they went with the flow of everything, or did they take a step out of their comfort zones to just be themselves? Do you think J.K. Rowling didn't have people telling her she wouldn't be able to do it? Of course she did. Do you think she did exactly what people wanted and went along with the fads of that moment? No! She took a step out and was just herself.
I know there are a lot of artists who put themselves out there every day to just make something beautiful. People ridicule Stephanie Meyer with the Twilight series a lot, and I know she gets a lot of junk from people. But she did what she wanted to do. She was being herself when she wrote the series. And she does have a huge fan base, by the way. The point being that she wrote what she wanted to. She didn't write the norm.
Hopefully you live to see your art and passions appreciated, but that's not the goal of doing it, is it? Artists (meaning everyone from a mathematician to an actual painter) don't create art to have it loved by everyone. You have to be yourself, and never lose sight of who you are in yourself, and in Jesus.
You have a vision and a passion that God put inside of you that only you can see; that only you can create. Chase it. Embrace it. And don't fear it.
No comments :
Post a Comment