Motivation vs. Obligation If you keep saying that you want to paint, but don’t have the time, then you don’t really want to paint. We make time for the things that we really want to do, the things that are most important to us. Everything else falls by the wayside. Sometimes we think we want to do something because we are holding onto a self-imposed identity, like being an artist. But if you’re not naturally finding time to make art, then you should probably let go of it. Identity gives one a sense of security, but there is no such thing as a fixed self. Self is ever changing. Once you’ve held onto an assumed identity for a long time, it can be scary to let go. You become a blank slate with infinite possibilities. In actuality, you should treat yourself as a blank slate every day. Tune into your ever-changing nature, moment by moment. Figure out what your natural motivations are, and follow them. If you deny your motivations, then you are limiting your potential. Only by following natural motivations, can we fulfill our individual potentials. Conversely, let go of the things that you’re not motivated to do. Sometimes the things we let go of even come back to us. Other times they don’t. Accept either outcome, but always be willing to let go. Other times, we fall into the trap of allowing obligations to eat up our time and get in the way of doing what we want to do. Cut those out. You should never act out of obligation, but always do what you want to do - what you feel inspired to do. Obligations take away from free and happy living. Sometimes an obligation may seem selfless in nature, but if it feels like an obligation and not something that you want to do, then it is not a selfless action. If you have to force yourself to do something, the results are forced as well. You alone make your choices and they continually define who you are. Artists are often thought of as flaky people. It’s true that some of us are, but it’s not so much that we are flaky, but rather we choose not to think about the mundane. The mundane is paying bills, returning phone calls, remembering appointments – the upkeep of everyday living. The mundane is not important to us, because we are intent on focusing on our art. Art requires an escape from the mundane, to maintain an ideal way of thinking. ©2007