What have you got to lose?
What is art?
In Seth Godin‘s words: “Art is the generous act of making things better by doing something that might not work.”
I love Seth’s definition; it holds in it the generosity, the action, the courage, the risk, and the change. All these and more are required. It takes courage to say: “I am a creator,” and walk that talk.
Daring to be a creator
The truth is, we all are creators; we create our lives as we live. From the moment we get into this world until we leave, we play the “creative game.” While we’re here, we get to choose what and how we create. Seth goes on to say:
“You were born ready to make art. But you’ve been brainwashed into believing that you can’t trust yourself enough to do so.”
Somewhere during your life, the notion creeps in that you may not be enough. That’s where courage is required. I love that quote from Gimli in The Lord of the rings: “Certainty Of Death? Small Chance Of Success? What Are We Waitin’ For?”
That’s basically how I think we should approach life and creation, go for it. As with most of what I write about here, this is easier said than done. The thing is, if we don’t try, we’ll never know.
Unlike the battle at Minas Tirith, we do not risk death with most creations. We risk failure, which is necessary if we want to succeed at a certain point.
Failing is how we learn.
Letting go – taking a risk
We also risk losing face, which sometimes keeps us from even trying; that’s when we have to let go.
On the swinging trapeze, the moment you let go of the trapeze is the moment of ultimate risk; that’s where the drama is, where performer and audience unite, in that fearful dramatic space. When the artist succeeds, success belongs to everyone.
There is no you or me or them; we all are one.
You have to let go of that safe position of knowing for a better stance of discovering the new for yourself and others. This is “the infinite game” of life.
Infinite game – the journey is the point.
“A finite game is played to win, an infinite game to continue the play.”
― Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility“
Life is an infinite game; if you live it this way, many possibilities open along the way. The courage to let go of the concern for how you are seen and stick to the game you set out to play is the best way to succeed eventually. Most importantly, it’s the best way to make a vital contribution to human evolution and change.
As Seth says in his marvelous book “The practice Shipping creative work” – “No change, no art.”
So, what are you waiting for? What have you got to lose?
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