The Sun and Her Flowers

let it go
let it leave
let it happen
nothing
in this world
was promised or
belonged to you anyway

- all you own is yourself

I often reference, in conversations with creatives,  a Breakfast Club interview I watched months ago where Erykah Badu spoke on creative blocks as an artist and her response has forever changed how I attack this issue moving forward. To paraphrase and also not have to cut the Queen a publishing check for stealing her words (you know how rappers be), a creative block isn't actually a block but more of a downloading period - a time to take in new information in a way different from your the current frequency that you are tuned to. To me, this was an eye-opening revelation because my previous method for dealing with these "blocks" was to dwell in it until it drove me into an analytical depression and yes, I am aware that the aforementioned method was extremely counter-intuitive. I looked at the action behind her response as an exercise in finding the positive in a situation, a bit of wisdom I had gained a few years back and have tried to live by since because giving into negativity is always a bad idea.

So as of late, I’ve been seeking inspiration through different mediums of art. I have found solace in the art behind design and understanding how each layer creates contextual depth in which the piece is able to grab its viewer on multiple levels. I have found an intense love for paintings of all kinds but I have more deeply dove into the eras where surrealism and abstract artistic styles drove society. I have even found a deep curiosity for the art behind how the human brain works in order to better understand myself and while I examine myself, I learn more about others as well. Books have played a supporting role in this journey because other than conversation (or I guess podcasts too), books hold the truths of an individual or a collective group of individuals taking the time to dive deep within themselves and reveal a truth. Truly understanding a person is to hear their story and accept their truth. The work required to be more empathetic towards others, in turn, allows us to be more forgiving of ourselves. And in that process, we find an understanding that those who judge are only looking at reflections of mistakes in their past.