I’ve learned that life is kind of a ‘do it yourself’ game. You have to be yourself. You can never get anywhere by simply trying to be someone else. And although the process of learning may include adapting influences from others, it’s not a matter of copying those influences entirely, but rather transforming them, and making them into something new.

Art is the same. You have to do it yourself. You can copy as a way to learn, but you can never copy and become an individual. You have to transform what you learn, and make it into something new.

When you first learn to paint and draw, your whole goal is to do it ‘correctly.’ You want to make sure every line is how it’s supposed to be, exactly in the right place. You also work hard to make sure you do everything you can to avoid ‘mistakes.’ Life’s the same way. We start out trying to do things ‘correctly.’ We start out trying to please all the adults in our lives: our parents, our family, our teachers, etc.

In the grand scheme of things, however, there are very few concrete rules you have to follow in life, or in art. Instead, there are many options, each leading to a different outcome. One door leads one way, while another leads a totally different direction. It’s not so much that one is inherently good, bad, better or worse than the other, but rather a matter of which door we open and choose to embrace.

A friend of mine once told me, "We have many paths in this journey"
They act in different directions, so when you question don't be worried
It's not a wrong one, beauty can be found in all of them
You'll meet people whose paths intersect, but you don't know how long you'll walk with them
Cause the truth is, and it's so hard, but you'll never know
How long we'll continue with our loved ones down this rugged road
The path veers and it's clear that we must steer alone
I’ve learned if you can’t hold on to that moment that exists- let it go

Cause freedom is God
Freedom is acknowledging the mask you have on and possessing the strength to take it off
Freedom is accepting every step of the path
And when it's hard having faith in the ability to embrace it, that's where you are.

- Macklemore, ‘Hold Your Head Up’

The beauty of life, and art, is the subjectivity. Choice is a gift from God that we get to use freely. ‘Mistakes’ are the enemy of ‘choice.’ ‘Fear’ is the enemy to ‘choice’.