This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.
~ William Shakespeare, Hamlet Act 1, Scene 3
Jeff Goins wrote today about The Permission to Be Yourself. Jeff’s the one who got me to start calling myself a writer and to stop talking about wanting to be a writer.
Jeff writes, “No one’s going to give you permission to be yourself.”
That’s why my tag line now says, “Author, Artist, Actor.” That’s who I am. Just call me the Sybil of the creative world.
It’s a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy.
~ Lucille Ball
And whether or not I have to be doing other things along the way to supporting making those happen is a side issue.
Usually I wait until the end of the year to tally up how I’ve done on my “more or less” list. But a little fourth quarter review isn’t a bad thing.
This year, I’ve written more and been paid for more writing. The novel still sits, but it’s there and it’s further along than it was.
This year, I’ve taken on some design projects, including designing the season logos for CAT Theatre’s 50th Anniversary Season. I’ve also upped the game on my CafePress and Zazzle shops. True, the canvas awaits, but I’ll get there.
This year, I’ve branched out in acting. Yesterday I accepted my seventh acting role for the year. Not bad for an oversized, aged, character actor.
This is who I am.
Who I’m not is a political consultant/commentator. Funny that I ever thought I was. But there’s a great deal of freedom in having given My Farewell to Arms.
Funny that it took me more than 50 years to articulate all of this. It’s like I was waiting for permission when the only permission I needed was my own.
Yes, life piles in and there are responsibilities. And I sometimes wonder if my art is suffering for my art.
I don’t know if I buy into the concept of artists having to suffer for their work to be meaningful. Or for writers to have to drink to be good writers. Not that I would snark at a good red wine, mind you.
Maybe the world would be a better, happier, place if we could all get to the point of realizing who we are, and giving ourselves permission to be that person.
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Anniversary Season. I’ve also upped the game on my CafePress and Zazzle shops. True, the canvas awaits, but I’ll get there.
