Whitney Houston stands up for another artist

We know the phenomenal talents that icon Whitney Houston had, but did you know about a time when she insisted that another musician receive her due respect? This is a beautiful story to hear!

https://youtube.com/shorts/POeVZYFlXIs?si=T17Gl31Sx3-BsXsW

Are you willing to be the creative person you were meant to be?

"I'd rather you take 10 steps wrong, then analyze trying to make one step right, one more day, while someone is waiting to be inspired by you."
 
     - Lisa Nichols
       MotivatingtheMasses.com

https://youtu.be/wyyFlfoB2Gk

it is just their opinion

When I was taking art lessons, I had future plans to paint a lot. Then I went to a seminar by a successful art gallery owner who asserted that if you don't know the world of modern art and understand what other painters are doing, you're going to fail. Well, I fell for that one hook, line and sinker! I reasoned that since I knew of no dictionaries or glossaries to define the modern art terms that are tossed around, and since the modern art world had no clearly defined standards of excellence or beauty that I could reach for, I decided that the endeavor was hopeless. I soon stopped going to art classes and basically gave up. This is so unlike me: I am tenacious when I want to reach a goal, especially when it is art related, but for some reason, this gallery owner's OPINION sounded close enough to THE TRUTH that I believed him.

Years later, I attended a seminar by a watercolor artist who makes 6 figures a year by creating her art, thus she dissolved the concept of "starving artist" for me. Also, she said that she shunned gallery owners, preferring to sell directly to people at art shows, all the while building her mailing list. She also had a very different opinion about the art world: that the paintings you create, and put strong emotion in, are far more important than understanding the art world. According to her, your paintings are the priority, not the networking. Her opinion felt much, much, much better and listening to her INCREASED my desire to paint. That's how you know who's opinion to accept or consider. Listening to a valuable opinion makes you want to create more, not less. Even constructive criticism should be just that, constructive: something that builds you up, not tears you down.

Now, I want to ask you a question. Did something like what happened to me when I listened to that art gallery owner happen to you at some time or another? Did some artist, some art teacher, some celebrity, some successful person, some family member, some loved one, some group of people, or some book convince you that you could not, or should not, create the effects YOU wanted to create with your art or other creative endeavor? If this happened and you went into agreement with their negative opinion, I can practically guarantee you that is the point when your interest in your art or creative activity lessened, maybe lessened a lot!

Be very selective about whose opinions you take to heart. The only person who has the right to decide what effect you will create with your art or creative activity is YOU! Even if you need proper, or better, instruction; even if you need more practice; even if you have to go to an environment where you are more appreciated. The Internet could make that last part easy, but long before the Internet, Josephine Baker decided that she was a star and since the USA was not yet ready for a Black woman to be a star, she went to Paris and became the star she already knew she was. But she decided what her dreams were, she didn't let anyone else decide for her. (In case you're not familiar with Josephine Baker: "before Madonna, before Marilyn, there was Josephine". That's on the DVD cover of the cable TV movie based on her life.)

You are as entitled to your opinion as anyone else. If they say, "You can't", you have every right to reply, "Watch me!"

Feed your creative side

My paranormal novel, "Imagining Things", will soon be published. It's a novel about the rewards for following your intuition — and the punishments for ignoring it. I invite you to visit my website http://www.aaronvictorvaughn.com/ to read an excerpt.

To say that the release of this novel will be a dream come true for me does not even begin to tell it!

I'd like to say something to my fellow creative people and to anyone who enjoys creativity. While most adults living in modern societies would not forget to eat for several days, some let their creativity starve for days, months, even years without giving it much thought, as if it's okay. We all loose something if you don't bring forth your creativity because there is only one you and no one can create that song, that book, that painting, that business venture, that inspirational talk just like you. You bring to it all of your wisdom and insight and experience which is one of a kind combination that is irreplaceable!

Famed painter Pablo Picasso made an excellent point when he said, "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."

During the holidays, we often give our creativity permission to come out and play. We let it breathe. We decorate or cook with flair, we wrap presents and place them under beautifully decorated trees. We often go out of our way to create beautiful moments with loved ones and strangers, too. Then we often pack our creativity away as if its expression has reached some type of time limit. Well, I'm here to tell you that time limit is self-imposed. Please cancel it! Make this new year comfortably and beautifully creative. Feed your creative side. Don't postpone your joy another minute. You'll be happier, and we all get to benefit, too!

Welcome to my "Muse, no blues" blog

I was recently asked, "What do you want your blog to accomplish?" Here is my reply.

Artists and creative people need to be championed. If someone announces, “I’m going to medical school”, people often reply, “That’s great!” If someone announces, “I’m going to art school”, people often reply, “what are you going to do for money?”

Artists get this kind of insidious invalidation of our goals, hopes and dreams so much, and it gets internalized, so creativity is reduced if not completely suppressed by the artist himself or herself. With my blog, “Muse, no blues”, I want to create the opposite effect on artists and creative people. I want to give them good news, not bad. I want to encourage them, inspire them and put the wind back in their sails. I want to pass onto them any tools and information I find out about that will help them progress, expand and enjoy their creativity – and to enjoy a creative life, not shun it.

I refuse to assert reasons they can’t make it. I want to show them ways they can make it, and should, for the survival of our world. You can not see the doors of opportunity open, or meet your destiny, if don’t believe you have one. Artists are often persuaded that they do not, but instead are persuaded that they should do something more “practical”, be more “realistic” – as if the reality of our lives is not created by our choices. We are not puppets of a capricious god. God, in fact, is more than happy to help. And there are so many dreams to gather – if we don’t let anyone talk us out of reaching for them, if we don’t agree with the naysayers and the haters.

I want to talk artists into reaching for it; I want them to go for it, whatever “it” is by their own definition and standards.