G is for Giving Yourself a Chance

2016G

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I’m surrounded by talented people. And right now, I’m taking about the ones I sincerely, straight-faced, honestly believe are talented. I know so many talented people. Writers and artists and singers and dancers. People who are brilliant and creative, and all the good things.

And more often than not, the things that should be their passion are pushed to the back of their consciousness. Things that should matter turn into “hobbies” or “pastimes” after a while. Something to wedge in, when they get a chance, and forget when they don’t. Not because the people who have these talents tried and failed, but because they gave up before they started. Someone talked them into believing that creativity doesn’t matter as much as _________. They didn’t give themselves a chance to be a creative.

I’m just starting to realize how many of them there are. People who would rather be doing something else, but didn’t give themselves a chance. I’ve been watching them fall into that lifestyle, and watching them fall out of it. Here’s a brilliant photographer who wound up a pathologist. There’s an engineer who retired and suddenly became a painter. And he’s good. His stuff is selling.

So, today’s post is about giving yourself a chance to do the things you really want to do first. A chance to do them NOW, instead of waiting for later, or stealing time here and there from other people’s priorities for you. I want to be a writer. And I’m giving myself a chance to do that.  Now. Not tomorrow or the next day, or forty years from now.

There’s a brochure from a retired engineer turned painter on my motivation board.

Or is it a brochure from a painter who never gave himself a chance, until now? I’m not sure.

In crappy day-job news: Today’s cringeworthy conversation was about co-worker’s husband’s upcoming catheterization, and included the phrase “Just shove that thing up there.” As if I needed another reason why I’m not a doctor. People are full of squishy stuff, and thus endeth my medical education. I am still recovering.

5 Comments

  1. Jane Helms

    Reply

    Brilliant post – like a beautiful comet in the sky for all of us to subscribe to and remember. But the tail (the squishy stuff) was … um, just a bit icky, okay? Heh.

  2. Reply

    Your crappy day job news had me snickering. I know, right?

    I need to start believing in myself as a creative person. I have not given up, but I think I need to shore up my belief in self more if I am going to get’er done.

    Happy G Day,
    Juneta

    • Reply

      Juneta, you’re an amazingly creative person! Believe that. Everybody else already does.
      I’d start doing regular crappy day job reports, but since I’m thinking of quitting and moving on, I’d hate for anyone to get attached to them.

  3. Reply

    Yeow! And OW!

    And I totally agree. I wish I had made my art a priority 20 years ago, instead of “waiting”. And even tho I can’t work now, I still find it difficult to focus on creating, even tho I have the time… it’s a habit that needs to be cultivated.

    Very good post.

    Keep writing!

    @dSavannahCreate from
    dSavannahRambles
    #AtoZChallenge2016 theme: dSavannah Defects

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