I have been spending some time on Chris Guillebeau’s site “The Art of Non-Conformity” and have picked up a great new quote and a whole lot of inspiration.

Quote? Yes. Long quote.

“So the simple answer is: throw yourself 90% into what you do for money. Reserve that small part for self-protection. Be willing to stand back, to be objective and dispassionate. And channel the feelings you have, the reaction to disappointment and limitations, and put it into the work that really matters: your Art. Now be uncompromising. Insist on the highest quality from yourself. Be clear, be strong, be energetic and bold. Experiment, reach, push. Stay up later than you would on a client project. See yourself in this work, the real you. Keep working, keep fighting, be heedless of others. And keep telling yourself that you work to earn a living and that you must never forget to do the living that you have earned.” – Danny Gregory

Your art.

If you are like most people in the working world, your job that pays the rent is not what you might technically consider to be your “art”. Your art is your passion, your focus away from the job, it’s what you do in your free time and if you could, you’d make a career out of it. It’s just too bad that there isn’t a way for you to make money off of your art and quit that damn day job that you are scared to be without, right? Wrong. Wrong because if you want it badly enough, there isn’t enough force in this world to stop you.

Begin. Then develop a focus.

When I started this site, I wanted to share my positive energy and outlook on life. I began a series on Inspirational Thoughts & Quotes without putting much thought into it. I love a great quote and for me, it can easily serve as a vehicle for energy, inspiration and perspective.

Now, even though my site is in it’s beginning stages, I’m beginning to develop a more focused approach. I’ve learned that the more I invest time and energy into it – the more serious I become. The more I spend time researching and reaching out to others in my community – I am inching closer understanding what my ultimate goals and visions are.

So what started as something to do because I was laid off and had some spare time, has gained some momentum and a sense of purpose. It has become my form of art. I feel it has value and I want to share that value with others. I’m not trying to make a quick buck, you’ll notice that I’ve pulled all of the lame advertisements off this site.

The biggest hurdle for many is to simply get started. You suffer from the bad-excuse syndrome and have accepted the fact that what you do now is just going to have to work. Quit doing that and conforming to the conventional ways of living. I decided after being laid off that I wanted more for my life. I have things I want to accomplish that don’t involve working for a company I don’t particular care about for 40 hrs per week until I am 70. So start thinking about your passion and begin to understand ways that you can derive value from that and share it with others.

Earn it. Then go out and live.

When you discover your art – you must keep in mind that you can and will do it better than anybody else. This is the case because if you really create and deliver according to your own uniqueness – there will be nothing else like it. Creating a living that you have earned, is done by doing things your own way and keeping the critics at bay. Misery loves company. And critics find enjoyment in putting other people down because they themselves haven’t been able to get out of a state of mediocrity. Keeping the haters away won’t be hard, because your passion and commitment squashes that negativity with ease and with no doubt.

Too many people say that they would live better and follow their true desires if their circumstances were different. I have been in that boat for years. I’d do all kinds of traveling if I didn’t have student loans to pay back. I could go on and on about what I would do if…if being the key word. If is one of the worst words that are out there along with trying. If I’m just trying to create a blog that provides thousands, potentially millions of people value worldwide – chances are that it will end with me only trying. Being driven by passion and commitment, will mitigate the personal acceptance of mediocrity that would ultimately leave me with more excuses than anything.

A starting point.

Now, clearly you probably aren’t in a position to just quit your job, I certainly am not, but you are in a position to get the ball rolling. Put some real, genuine thought behind your passions and your “art”. Get a notebook, jot things down as you think of them, start writing in a journal. Simply make progress. One great way to determine how you can provide something of value with your form of art is to share it with others and get some feedback. Something that I plan to expand upon in a later post is why it’s so important to get others enrolled and involved in your overall vision. A great place to start is with friends and family.

Image by ajawin.

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