Bohemian Warning:
This isn’t going to be the best blog you’ve ever read, nor will this be the most creative website you could visit. And let’s face it - I’m probably not going to write anything mind-blowing, or anything that hasn’t been said before. Sorry.
Now that I’ve thoroughly disappointed you, here’s what I hope I can contribute to your life:
1) Vulnerability
We live in a world of overnight celebrities and tend to expect instant success from our endeavors. But really, if you think about the millions of people in the world, most of us are not famous, not by a long shot. We do one another a disservice by perpetuating the idea of perfection, of instant glory.
What we really need is honesty. Truthful revelation about who we are and where we are at in our journey. Honesty about our failings and our dreams. This means that I have to be real about my strengths and my weaknesses. I don’t want to be put up on a pedestal because it will really hurt when I fall off. So here’s to vulnerable art. To creating now, at whatever level you are at in your craft.
2) Encouragement
It takes virtually nothing for me to be discouraged and want to throw in the towel. Multiple times I’ve asked myself why I thought doing this website was a good idea. There have been so many times I have felt like I should never sing or write or play music again. And yet I can’t NOT create. It’s what I do.
Did you know that artists are sensitive people? Really, most humans are sensitive about something in their life, and because of that, we really need encouragement. I hope this website will encourage you to create, and that by sharing my ramshackle journey, you’ll see that art is about who you are becoming rather than achieving.
3) Resources
I am always on the hunt for my next favorite book, inspiring movie, or music tutorial. And TED talks-I love it when I find a jaw-dropping one of those. When I come across great examples and inspiring artists, I’ll share them with you, and I hope you’ll share yours in the blog comments.
4) Community
Chasing Ebenezer at the Gresham Farmers Market - Photography by Mike Atkinson
Artists spend a lot of time alone with their craft, which means we can spend much of our lives in a hermit-like state. But what I’ve come to realize through my journey is how much I need others. My writers group and my art church have been essential in my personal growth, and I think there are great ways to do that on the internet as well (Facebook groups, Instagram threads). While we may never meet in person, I hope we’ll be able to connect and that you’ll feel that this is a place where we can build a community of beauty lovers.
5) Laughter
Let’s face it. Throughout our lifetime, most of us doing ridiculous things. If you’re like me, it’s on a daily basis. I am definitely the Lucile Ball/Leslie Knope of the art world, so there’s bound to be opportunities for me to laugh at myself and share these embarrassing experiences with you.
And there you have it. Here are the things I hope to offer to the world through this little blog. And who knows? As time passes, there just might be a stroke of brilliance that pops up somewhere along the way, and we’ll all be delighted.
~Enjoy the journey, Heidi Beth
TELL ME:
What’s a goal you are working on? Hiking Mt. Everest, recording an album, building a treehouse?
BOHEMIAN CHALLENGE:
Write/dictate/share about a time you felt embarrassed, but retell the story as if you were writing a sitcom episode.