When I was speaking at that high school gathering a little while ago, one of the students asked me if I was crazy. She was a great listener and was eager to learn about our craft, which means I don't think she was yanking my chain. Most likely, I wasn't the first writer she's encountered which means she already knew that we're all a little crazy. Either that, or I had a particularly wild look in my eyes that sometimes makes people feel "uncomfortable" around me. Heh.
What I believe is that she already knew what it takes to be even a mild success in any creative field. You gotta have a lot of heart, iron will and a complete disregard for practicality. In fact, a well known doctor and brilliant thinker once called practicality the last refuge of the mediocre. Of course, that man was Dr. Miguelito Loveless from The Wild Wild West, but his words still ring true. If we are to succeed as artists, we must fight to maintain our spirit while most everything around us tries to grind it down.
Money, power, a corner office, those sorts of things don't really make a dent to the artistic parts of the brain. Unfortunately, the artistic part of some people's brain (prime example: ME) overshadows damn near everything else. Folks like us don't see the point of sacrificing time and effort to hoard all those small pieces of paper. We yearn for experiences, emotion and the fantastic. Would I love to be rich? Sure! There's always the chance that one of my books could hit it big in one way or another, but that's a gamble I take with every word I type. Would I do what needs to be done to take the more certain way of getting material success? Would I devote myself to learning the game of finance and big business to amass wealth? Nah. I'm just not made that way. I'm not condemning people who do throw themselves into the business world. I just don't get it and wouldn't be any good at it. I know my limitations.
As I mentioned a few posts ago, I'm looking for a day job to supplement my income. That's definitely been reminding me of just how unqualified I am for just about everything else that's out there. It's lead to a good deal of frustration, mainly with myself, for not having any marketable skills. I think back to all those years when I could have been bettering myself in a more practical way. That sure would have made things easier for me now.
But even here, at the point where I feel the pinch more than ever, I simply don't regret being impractical. This is just how I am. This is just how WE, as artists and creative folks, are. Is that crazy? Strictly speaking...yeah. A little. But at least it ain't mediocre.
