Rewritten Limits

Sitting by the window, morning rain splattering the glass, I'm thinking a lot about self-doubt. This really bubbled up last night when attending something called "The Art Hop", an annual block-party-style open house in the arts district. It's really cool—meet and greets with local artists in their studios, food trucks, live music. I was filled with a sense of belonging, and was surprisingly calm. "These are my people" I kept telling myself, as if to make it true.

While perusing the art studios, I dreamt of having one of my own. But what would I make? I can't draw, paint, sculpt, or craft. I can kind of get by as a photographer, but I'm not all that passionate about it. I used to bring my camera along with me on outdoor trips so I'd have something to go with whatever I wrote about the experience. Because I'm a writer, not an artist. Right?

Still, I loved strolling through the Art Hop last night. I started thinking about ways to align myself more with the arts community; much like I'd done with the world of outdoor sports at first. I imagined a plan coming together. Maybe I could interview these local artists and tell their stories? I'd seek out deep conversations with them to publish as podcast episodes and profile stories.

"That's something I'm good at" I told myself. Surely, I could become part of the art community that way... but that's where I caught myself. I always look for ways to be part of a group by finding ways to get close to the thing and the people who do it. Which is why my mind immediately went to sharing about artists in the community and how they express themselves. That would mean proximity, but wouldn't actually make me one of them.

What if being myself was enough?

Instead of gathering reasons for why I wasn't an artist, I challenged myself to flip it around. But then I went a step further, because that sort of felt like gathering evidence. So I opted for embracing this thought: what if I became a writer with a studio for no other reason than because I wanted to.

Our Daily MAP Year Prompt 
06/365

What if you didn't have to justify it?

Whatever "it" is—start doing more of that.

onward.
-dmac