There is a value in not knowing any better
There is something to be said for not knowing better-
With years of experience comes the ability to project boundaries around your aspirations-
This is being “realistic”
Experience teaches us to be realistic- inexperience usually provides a whole lot of not knowing better-
A professional is realistic, rooted deep into the earth- an amateur floats around, head in the clouds with no roots to be found- they are more like a fern than a tree-
Experience usually breaks our heart one or more times in more than one way- with each heartbreak, with each disappointment- we become more experienced and move forward with our experience- if we don’t quit-
In creation- heartbreak is projects that were never finished- projects that were finished that you had big expectations for that never panned out- etc
Real experience carries with it real confidence- inexperience carries hope and wonder as the “limits” are not known-
Now, there really aren’t any limits- I think we just come to accept limits as dictated by our experience- but they can change at any time-
It’s really about managing expectations- the more we expect- the farther we fall down into a pit when they are not met-
As a self defense mechanism we learn to be “realistic”- the steady hand that gets the job done day in and day out for years is a realistic hand- it may create some magick BUT it won’t feel like it because it was created from a steady measured approach and not a spastic, excited one-
The boundaries we come to accept through experience are just as imaginary as the ones created by inexperience they are just easier to manage-
The me from X years ago would say this about a current project “when I’m done with this X is going to happen” and I would get all excited about all these exciting things happening- it provides you with a lot of energy-
The me of today says this of a current project “I’m going to finish this project”- I don’t place any expectations on the projects other than completing and releasing them-
I can see both sides- one is intoxicated and sometimes blinded by what could be and the other just moves forward like a Terminator-
One can be crushed by unrealistic expectations and the other can be smothered by apathy-
We can’t take our experience back and be foolhardy like we once were BUT we can admit to ourselves that we NEVER really know what might happen so we should keep at least a little spark of excitement about what might be-
I was watching one of our new cats (B) play with a toy for 15 minutes- it was just a little fake mouse- it didn’t move on its own or make any sound yet he was running around and going nuts with it (no catnip involved) for a long time-
I reminded me to stay excited about things- I’m just going to assume in B’s cat mind the toy is a real mouse and he’s acting accordingly-
So even if you are experienced(Sort of a Hendrix album reference)- you shouldn’t pretend to know the outcome, because you don’t- it doesn’t hurt to pretend a little and be excited about what could be-
Again, we shouldn’t get so excited we bank of very high expectations because that’s how people get crushed and fuck up their lives- if you are banking on it by literally banking on it and gambling with all of your assets-
Also- I heard something from a famous MMA coach that was interviewed- it was something like “you don’t lose if you learn something” and “You either win or you learn”
That seems like a really good approach as on all of the projects I’ve worked on the past few years I’ve definitely learned a ton- I still hope to win though ^_^
I deleted my Twitter account along with all other social media accounts I had- before I did- I screencapped this- as it's a good reminder to self about what the journey is always like IF passion is involved-
Brought to you by professional weirdo M dot Strange.