When I was about fourteen years old, I took a lump of soft, muddy clay home from school and created a head of myself, on the kitchen table. Seeing my passion and commitment for sculpture, my mother asked me, "What is playing with mud going to do for you?"
The general consensus amongst my immediate circle of influence was that one had to be exceptionally gifted, determined and extremely fortunate to garner the appropriate opportunities in order to avoid winding up as a failed and or starving artist. In Great Britain, a young black man, pursuing figurative sculpture as a serious career was as foreign to social thinking, twenty-five years ago, as I believe it is today. There were and are no black Michelangelo´s, Rodin´s or Bernini´s with whom others and I could identify with to celebrate and emulate.
Mother's concern later proved to be one of the most significant and motivating questions that helped in my development as an artist and as a man, by virtue of the seeming negative energy it imbued. I soon discovered the art of converting negative energy into positive energy and still find it to be a liberating and empowering experience and an ability that can be developed into one of many essential life skills.
It can be a natural reaction for individuals to internalize a negative comment that is directed at them, albeit with good intentions. For example, how many times have you had what you consider to be a great idea, or visualized new goals and dreams but upon sharing them with others you find they do not share your vision or enthusiasm? They have nothing to say by way of encouragement but instead they discourage and possibly derail you. If so many dreams are potentially lost, because others disapprove, what does that say about the insecurity of those who allow such negative energies to significantly alter the course of their lives? Ultimately, who really is the decision-maker regarding that particular aspect of your life?
When making a decision, it is better to maintain ultimate control of your mental journey, in order to maintain control of your life´s journey. Allowing others to make decisions for us can result in our suffering the consequences of their indiscretion. Being decisive builds confidence and character. Even if we make poor choices we can learn and grow from understanding our mistakes. However, by seeking the valued opinions of others, it is possible to be discreet with our personal information, whilst accumulating a range of experiences that can better position us to make our own decisions.
Unfortunately, there are those who cannot bear to see us progress and succeed. They instinctively suppress us from elevating ourselves above their level of normality, mediocrity or even wealth and success. Then there are those, like my dear mother, whose genuine concern, though seemingly negative, was predicted on her limited understanding of my true potential, the art industry and her desire to see her baby boy pursue and find "a real job." Granted, I did not and still do not know it all. However, I was aware that I had discovered the tip of a creative iceberg in a gift that I found stimulating, exciting, therapeutic, and empowering. I was not about to close the door to what might be one of the greatest artistic discoveries of all time... Me!!! Okay, so maybe living in cloud cuckoo land (British for, "having my head in the clouds") was my fantasy world. However, in that world I was free to dream without reprisal. I could formulate lofty aspirations that when shared, caused others to raise a cynical eyebrow in question of my sanity or place a condescending pat on my back to gently return me to earth, as seen through their eyes of course. And so it was then that I learnt to protect my dreams from being distorted, broken, lost or stolen by not putting them out there prematurely for others to consciously or subconsciously destroy.
I had chosen to specialize in an obscure field. So many of us have enormous potentials in areas that are not considered mainstream, but could lead us to new frontiers. Unfortunately, there will be those who choose to play it safe and select a ´proper´ job or a ´real´ career to gain the approval of those around them. This often falls into the category of a nine-to-five, with benefits and promotional prospects in a reputable company, earning a good income and so on. Fortunately, there are many who find pride, happiness, satisfaction and peace of mind with this lifestyle and that is to be applauded and celebrated. They are able to identify with it as a great life and know that in part; it was determined by a decision that was true to them and made by them.
Being true to your self sets you free. It is too easy to formulate an idea, or visualize a dream and pursue it with blind determination only to find that you are potentially more skilled in one or several different areas or that there are others who are better capable and prepared. Such a situation can present an opportunity to exercise the art of converting the negative into the positive.
When you eventually share your vision with others you may by confronted with questions like, "Is there a market for that?" "Can you make a living from it?" "Why would you want to do that?" "How will you survive?"" and "What if you fail?" If this is the case, then do the right thing and assess the validity of each question, not to protect your pride or to defend your idea, but for the purpose of creating a concept that is as air tight as possible. If, of your own volition, you continue to find holes within the foundation of your concept, it is quite possible that your idea belongs in the ´Ideas Anonymous Graveyard´. There is no shame in burying an idea and conserving positive creative energy for future endeavors. Take delight in knowing that you subjected your vision to a rigorous and honest examination, furthering your growth in wisdom, knowledge and understanding and better preparing you for your next venture. It is not always necessary to strike while the iron is seemingly hot in order to find success.
It is often said that a unique door that is opened to us is an opportunity of a lifetime. It is my opinion that we can spend our entire lives walking through many doors that are opened for us; however, very often we have the keys to the doors that only we can open. Look not to others to grant you that which you already have.
Donald Brown The Renaissance Man
I hope to see you at The Struggle For Change Conference in London, England. For information, join the group below- (Attend The London Conference – All Expenses Paid)
Launching a fundraising opportunity and preparing a Conference in London, England for up to 500 Americans to attend, all expenses paid.
Life & Professional Aspirations:
To empower all people through art and fund humanitarian projects throughout the world.
I hope to see you at The Struggle For Change Conference in London, England. For information, join the group- (Attend The London Conference – All Expenses Paid)
All I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! You truly are a goodrole model. Stay together, we need more like you.
Tagged by
betty endsley on 03/31/2011
Sir Donald, (just kidding) you truly exude the characteristics of a Renaissance Man... and may I add, a highly motivated one. You instinctively communicate your thoughts with the precision and wisdom of a seasoned senior statesman. You seem to know exactly who you are, where you are going, and you don't allow others to define your identity. You possess the ability to do this while embracing and encouraging others to seek their own potential. I greatly admire these qualtities. I see you also have a passion for writing. What a formidable gift! You do it quite well. I too can affirm that when the adrenaline starts to flow, the mind starts racing and the words just keep coming. I have truly enjoyed your biography and I applaud your aspirations and convictions. Now when can we expect a book or has that already been accomplished?
Tagged by
shirley caldwell on 01/05/2010
