04-02-2013, 01:54 AM
Thanks Craig, your reply has pushed me to make another post. Thought I would share a pic from my recent studies. Nice to see small improvements from week to week.
Also if anyone has time to read my rant, you might find some small benefit from one of my struggles.
The Dirty(False) High of Inspiration
It has taken years to notice this pattern of mine, and I can still fall victim to it if I am not on my game. This may not be an issue for everyone, but it is definitely a curse that has plagued my growth. I love to be inspired, I love the warm fuzzy feeling that I get when I see a great work of art, or hearing a great speech that makes me want to do more. But, then that’s all that happens. I get the positive feeling and my brain tricks itself into thinking this is actually the “high” of success, because for a moment I see the future I want to have. I’ve spent years following self-help videos, and watching inspirational artists grow. After the high leaves, the guilt sets in. I count the months and years I’ve wasted, and that spark is gone and the motivation and the glimpse of the future fades. Instead of riding this inspiration into action I take the dirty feel good high, then I have my own personal pity party. After I’m down on myself, I take the next dirty high. I have trained my brain to consume this way, just like a person who takes headache medicine every day, has trained himself to get headaches.
I’m not saying inspiration is negative; just recognize if you are using it for good or bad. Inspiration gives us the fuel to want to do better. Hard work is the only cure for the dirty high. If I spend hours working on improving my drawing, nothing beats the reward of knowing I didn’t waste my time. It’s hard though, distractions from the cell phone, finding the perfect song to listen to, or the perfect podcast, a million excuses go through my brain on why I shouldn’t. Maybe everything I drew today sucks, and I just want to quit. But knowing I didn’t let another day go by makes it all worth it.
Eventually you will learn that the dirty high doesn’t compare to putting in the work. The positive momentum of putting in the hours, fighting through all the barriers becomes the real high.
Also if anyone has time to read my rant, you might find some small benefit from one of my struggles.
The Dirty(False) High of Inspiration
It has taken years to notice this pattern of mine, and I can still fall victim to it if I am not on my game. This may not be an issue for everyone, but it is definitely a curse that has plagued my growth. I love to be inspired, I love the warm fuzzy feeling that I get when I see a great work of art, or hearing a great speech that makes me want to do more. But, then that’s all that happens. I get the positive feeling and my brain tricks itself into thinking this is actually the “high” of success, because for a moment I see the future I want to have. I’ve spent years following self-help videos, and watching inspirational artists grow. After the high leaves, the guilt sets in. I count the months and years I’ve wasted, and that spark is gone and the motivation and the glimpse of the future fades. Instead of riding this inspiration into action I take the dirty feel good high, then I have my own personal pity party. After I’m down on myself, I take the next dirty high. I have trained my brain to consume this way, just like a person who takes headache medicine every day, has trained himself to get headaches.
I’m not saying inspiration is negative; just recognize if you are using it for good or bad. Inspiration gives us the fuel to want to do better. Hard work is the only cure for the dirty high. If I spend hours working on improving my drawing, nothing beats the reward of knowing I didn’t waste my time. It’s hard though, distractions from the cell phone, finding the perfect song to listen to, or the perfect podcast, a million excuses go through my brain on why I shouldn’t. Maybe everything I drew today sucks, and I just want to quit. But knowing I didn’t let another day go by makes it all worth it.
Eventually you will learn that the dirty high doesn’t compare to putting in the work. The positive momentum of putting in the hours, fighting through all the barriers becomes the real high.