It's been quite some time since I posted up here.  Life and creative endeavors have steered me away from the sinful satisfaction of internet projects...but, as it so often does, life has slapped me about and I find myself recomitted to writing (not to mention film, anew passion), and my old online roots have begun to grow again.  

We live in a reality crowded with over 6 billion people.

Even if only 10% of that population is devoted to creativity in some form, that's an overwhelming, constant tidal wave of art being produced. For some creators, the idea that there is simply nothing original left to do or say destroys their passion.

The concept that the purpose of art, and therefore the purpose of an artist, is to "be original" is a fallacy. Originality, especially in a world of billions, is a matter of ownership, of out and out passion, of taking an idea to its absolute edge and then having the guts to push it over and see what happens when it all hits bottom.

Ownership is a perception of the onlooker, and it is earned by the artist via total commitment to their material, no matter what the medium.

So….Guts….

I'm writing this at past 2am because the show I'm coming home from sparked a need.

The band was Candy Apple [myspace.com/candyapplegarage ] and Jake, on guitar and vocals, was the perfect example of GUTS.



Whatever we're doing, we should do it all out. Even those things we don't necessarily WANT to do, we should accomplish them guts out, offering everything. Our jobs, our conversations, our art, our relationships, our exercise; if we put ourselves wholly into these things, our lives begin to change for the better.

Watching Jake perform, it was a lesson in guts unleashed. He owned his role on stage completely. From a place of total sincerity and absolute confidence, he gave the crowd his creative guts. That kind of pure offering is universally inspirational, whether you're a driven artist or that drunk guy in the corner (sometimes the same person).

It struck that putting it all on the table in my daily endeavors is crucial. If I approach all things with an attitude of total sincerity, the work, whether my own creative projects or not, will improve and everyone around me will recognize the ownership of my actions.

Ownership of Actions equals Originality.

When you're doing something all out, people assume you've discovered some "secret", they perceive your ownership of your actions, and that perception makes it real.

Try to remember the last time you saw someone on stage who genuinely gave EVERYTHING they had inside them, and failed. It's a near impossibility. It is human nature to admire the courage it takes to rip your guts out and offer them to the world. It is the fearless act of self exposure that almost always yields positive results and the respect of our peers.

So….Texture….

The second element for the successful perception of originality is texture.

I'm talking about texture in both the literal sense and a more metaphorical presence.

The human condition is drawn without fail to texture. Whether it is the eye drawn to vivid textures in art, or the heart pulled toward people who radiate texture in the form of personality, there is magic in complexity.

This is beneficial to realize for both day to day life and our creative work. Since this blog has a comic book focus, I'll use that as an example.

As a creator, it is easy to become so focused on finishing a project, giving it a beginning, middle, and end, that we completely forget to inject it with those things that would make US want to read it: Texture. Fusing your characters and storyline with the complex textures of real life is vital to success. A 2 dimensional story populated with 2 dimensional characters, no matter how "cool" the core concept or great the art…will ALWAYS fall flat and fail to gain a fan base.

Every bit of texture you can add to your imagined world adds to its appeal. The quirks of a character, the raw, dirty corrosion of existence upon the surface of your creation…these are exactly the things your readers will connect with most.

Imagine a new wall in a sparkling new city, a wall completely untouched by time and nature. Now imagine an old wall, one that has survived the ravages of years and the abuse of humanity. Which wall is more interesting? Which wall has more stories to tell? Which wall do you want to take a photograph of?



Texture equals Originality.

Apply texture freely. Never get so focused on the glossy start and finish that you forget to add the messy stuff in between, the stuff of truth and friction and evidence of purpose.

Conclusion

Whatever you do, do it in such a way as to have nothing left afterwards.

Whatever you do, immerse it in as much textural diversity as possible.

If you combine these things as a comic creator, a musician, a businessman, a human being….you WILL become the personification of originality.

The past couple of weeks, I pushed a little too hard. I didn't get enough sleep, allowed some stress to eat away at my state of mind, and in typical fashion, got sick.

It's 4am on a Sunday, my fever broke and I can't go back to sleep. My mind is going over all the things I could have gotten done the past several days. My mind is turning over and over all the things I'll have to do to catch up at work and on my personal little checklist of productivity. More intensely, though, my mind is stabbing into philosophical areas which have nothing and everything to do with my productivity level.

Being Sick is an Altered State of Mind

This is a simple enough truth, but certainly a truth that is rarely taken advantage of.

As I get older, I have come to understand the value of seizing every opportunity to learn from altered states of awareness. When we see an incredible film or piece of art, when we hear an especially moving bit of music or stirring speech, this brings an altered state of awareness. Being scared before going on stage, drinking too much, exhaustion, love…any one of these things can offer altered consciousness.

Our job as human beings, as far as I can tell, is to learn as much as possible from as many perspectives as possible.

The point is, I'm sick. I'm laying underneath layers of heavy quilt, sweaty-cold, wanting a hundred different things but unwilling to move…and I'm thinking, "How is this relevant to my goals? Is this part of the process?"

Or, the really big one, "Did I bring this on by chasing the wrong things? Or maybe I'm chasing the right things for the wrong reasons?"

These types of questions, born of a silence only possible when the rest of the world sleeps and churned through the altered perception of a soar throat-high fever-crazy hair-leaky nose stretch of hours, make me wonder if maybe I expect too much from this mortal coil.

The answer, of course, is no. I don't expect too much. I , in fact, need to expect MORE.

We ALL Need to Expect More

Being sick is another place to see the world from, it is a different state of mind in which to view your own strengths and weaknesses. Honesty is key, brutal self honesty. I am referring to the kind of raw honesty you never offer anyone else, the flavor of truth that only you can place on your own tongue and swallow…because coming from anyone else, it would be far too bitter to stomach. It is ONLY via concise self honesty that we can overcome the worst parts of ourselves.

And, typically, the only time we can muster up that kind of honesty is when we are somehow altered and unexpectedly confronted with something from a unique perspective.

I'm sick.

I'm analyzing from a new angle.

I'm seeing things through the haze of a suffering body.

And it has struck me like a slow building, heart-stopping, snot snarling sneeze: I must do things from a more pure place.

Conclusion

I'm involved with a lot of projects these days. One of them involves music. Now, in this state, as the clock reads 4:42am, I understand clearly that the only way this musical endeavor can succeed is if I believe the music itself can change people. It CANNOT be about some future chance at profit, attention, or status. It can't even be about the music being "good" or "bad" from a quality standpoint. If there is not a rock solid belief that the music I'm involving myself with can change people's lives, than it's no good. It doesn't matter if it could make money. Making money is never a good reason to invest true passion into something, that kind of motivation always eats us alive.

The point is, the real point is: I'm sick. And I'm working through some shit.

Life is glorious, it ALWAYS offers us the chance to see ourselves exactly the way we need. We can choose to seize these opportunities…or we can wallow in self pity and deny ourselves the chance to grow.

Seize EVERYTHING. It is all an opportunity to rise to something better. Each and every bit of struggle is another state of mind we can leverage to better understand our own motivations…which we can then purify a little more…a bit at a time, until those motivations sing out so loud and clear that the world will have no choice but to succumb.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: It has been some time since writing the first part of this article [ [ Part 1 HERE ] about becoming a Super Hero in your own life. Why? Because I wasn't actualizing my own Super Hero ideal. The past months have been about correcting that. I am now on the other side of a 10 day fast and cleanse. I'm not drinking, I've begun a new way of eating and renewed my commitment to supporting local/community businesses. I'm more productive, creatively energized, and more focused on my goals than at any other point in my life. 2008 is going to be a HUGE year.

So my question for you is…

How was Your Day?

What time did you get up? What was the first thing you did? When was the precise moment you knew exactly what you were going to achieve? At what point did you start working toward that goal? How long did you celebrate your achievement before moving on to the next challenge?

Thought process. Choices. You wake up, you begin motion, you set your day's course.

There is nothing more important than following through with intention. Ideas are important, but ultimately worthless. A billion minds have a trillion ideas every day. If even 5% of those ideas were actualized, this world would be a far different place. The reality is, ideas die quick deaths in the hearts and minds of most people. They come and go. They rise briefly, slip off the tongue, and then slip off a cliff into a deep, dark abyss, never to be seen or heard from again.

Ideas are our lifeblood, but easily become a metaphorical crucifixion when not brought to fruition.

You wake up. You begin motion, you set your day's course.

The Super Distraction of Contentment

What is the goal? What idea can be made real in the next hour, the next 24 hours, the next week? How many times over the next month can you set yourself up for success and failure (and trust me, the failures are crucial too).

This is a daily ritual and satisfaction is NOT the goal. Satisfaction is unattainable by Super Heroes. They don't seek it, they don't want it. To be satisfied is to stop and simmer in the past. Feeding on yesterday's pat on the back is the quickest way to ruin the potential of tomorrow.

So…how was your day? How IS your day? What are you doing right now? What would you rather be doing? What are you doing today that interferes with the bigger picture?

The Importance of NOW

Wake up. Set it in motion. Set your life's course.

Don't stop for anything or anyone. If something doesn't lift you toward a goal, drop it and fly higher. We can come up with a thousand ways to avoid stepping toward productivity. It is a gift of the creative minded…that avoidance instinct. So we MUST ask ourselves, EVERY day: What is the goal? How can I get there? How can I start in this moment? What is holding me back?

Everything you ever wanted to achieve is hinging on your next choice. If that choice doesn't move you forward, don't embrace it. Change your choice. Step correct. It really is that simple.

Become a Super Hero. It is not only possible, it is completely necessary, both as an individual and for this world in crisis.

Conclusion

The Super Heroes splashed across comics and movie screens save the world in a literal, direct sense. They destroy the giant death ray, fell the ten story robot, change the very axis of the sun to keep humanity safe.

This is metaphor. We ARE Super Heroes. This is our world, and we save it by raising awareness. We save it by becoming our absolute best, and leading the way with our passion and determination. We change lives simply by living our OWN lives to their fullest. Leveraging every day for creation is our act of heroism.

Imagine an army of us, each waking and demanding of ourselves to achieve our artistic goals. Demanding of ourselves, just as Superman demands that he sacrifice all to avert disaster for the greater good, that we succeed.

We are birthing our world and our reality right now, today.

How is your day going to be?

Mine is going to kick ass.