I came across a quote once that really stuck with me. Well, mostly -- I can remember roughly how it goes, but I can't remember where or when I encountered it or, most importantly, who said it. It was something like:
The universe doesn't care who flies;
it only cares that there be flying.
(Needless to say, if anyone knows the provenance of this, for FSM's sake, let me know!)
I remind myself of it every so often when I'm going through one of your garden variety attacks of existential angst that seem to go hand-in-hand with being a temperamental artiste-type. Like when I'm sliding toward despair at the apparent impossibility of having anything resembling a respectable career, or steady income (let alone both!). Or when I'm trying to feel as if I have any control whatsoever in creating a sustainable balance between paid work and the activity that I consider my real work, whether it pays or not. Or when I'm thinking back on my musical education, and all the ways in which professors and others who I like to believe were basically well-meaning, though I may be kidding myself in certain cases, unwittingly took out their own flaws and blind spots and frustrations woundedness on those around them, thus turning the thing we all loved enough to dedicate our lives to -- music -- into just one more source of anxiety and suffering in this 70-odd-year-long farce of misbegotten futility that we so quaintly like to call 'life.'
See, that's why I like pooties -- I need plenty of superfluous distractions to keep me from spending too much time on my dark side! ;)
Anyway, the reason I find this quote helpful is, it reminds me that focusing on so-called "results" is missing the point. The bread-and-butter issues have to be attended to, of course, but to a large degree, if you want to pursue any creative activity, you mainly have to do it simply for its own sake. Because you love it, because your life wouldn't make sense if you didn't do it. (That's true about many things in addition to the arts, actually -- I think McDoc had a similar process around deciding to finally follow his dream of becoming a doctor. It wasn't because it was practical, that's for sure!)
I have to remind myself that it's not about "me," in the end -- and that's hard in a field where you're constantly being scrutinized and evaluated in both a very high-pressure and holistic way; sometimes I feel like I'm only as good as my most recent performance, so if I have an off day, it feels like THE END. It's also hard in a field where the most successful practitioners are treated near-worshipfully (though there's a much lower risk of that in the classical part of the music world ;) ).
I think I'm about to embark on a process of re-evaluating just about everything in my so-called professional life. I've been feeling extremely burnt out lately, even though I'm not doing all that much -- not as much as many professional musicians, anyway, and I would like to find the energy to do more. That tells me that there is some need I have that's not being met, some itch that's not being scratched, and I'm just going to have to figure out how to provide it for myself, because, I'm sorry to say, no one's gonna knock on my front door and offer to do it for me!
Plenty of folks knocked on the Top Comments crew's door today, happily!
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From bronte17:
In Old Redneck's diary UofVA tells VA AG to shove it, NoVa Boy gives us an interesting addition to our political lexicon: Wingnut Curious in a discussion of flipping VA back to the democratic frame of mind.
Antidotes to "wingnut curiosity" need to be applied vigorously.
From mydailydrunk:
I'd been trying to find the perfect "bumper sticker" synopsis of how to describe Rand Paul, and this comment by Rumarhazzit, especially the second sentence, nails it.
From BlackSheep1:
I nominate this comment by SilentBrook, from this diary, as a top comment for the day.
From Crashing Vor:
Don't be surprised if, before long, you hear a real life conspiracy theorist quote Rich in PA.
From JanF:
NCrissieB's Morning Feature diary, which continured her discussion of libertarianism, prompted a number of excellent comments. One by Hill Jill on how "second sons" coming to America may be the origin of some of the libertarian philosophy and one by JanetT in MD about how there are no free markets were particularly noteworthy.
From carolita:
kanuk cites a Guardian report on an on-going deep well problem in the North Sea -- just in case you thought the problems with offshore drilling were limited to the U.S. Volcanoes above and below the ocean -- pressure seems to be building underfoot. Is the earth trying to tell us something?
From 88kathy:
Been chuckling all day about the Bush Doctrine tag by sherlyle. (Editor's note: I enjoyed 88kathy's reply, too! ;) )
From Dragon5616:
doc2 nails it with this milk-spitter in theboneguy's diary If Bush Was In Charge of the Oil Disaster...
From LaughingPlanet:
beltane nails the word for the soon-to-be-unemployed Senator from Arkansas' campaign.
From yours truly, virgomusic:
RandomActsOfReason has a good comment on things we tend to confuse.
Crashing Vor muses on energy expertise and solutions (if only!).
Always-creative brillig brings Top Mojo!
Top 30 (plus ties) Comments excluding tip jars, first comments and stuff:
1) Despite popular lore, replying to the... by Meteor Blades — 162
2) She'll accomplish more with by last starfighter — 136
3) Obama has had several opportunities... by citizen53 — 130
4) Thank you by BPARTR — 128
5) Oh, and just so we don't let anyone forget... by xsonogall — 117
6) Can Va voters recall Cuccinelli? by Jeff Y — 112
7) he prefers incrementalism by justmy2 — 99
8) Actions speak louder than any words. by tovan — 99
9) At 11 yrs old, Malia is smarter that Beck is by LaurenMonica — 94
10) I. just. can. not. believe. that. people. here. by Lovepolitics2008 — 93
11) But then there's political competence by Dallasdoc — 92
12) Thank the gods for Senator Sanders... by alamacTHC — 83
13) The populist wave is just what he always misses by Dallasdoc — 81
14) Unnecessary provocation by tomjones — 81
15) Because populist outrage is not good policy by RandomActsOfReason — 79
16) The economic crisis was his best opportunity... by citizen53 — 78
17) "Armed conflict should be a last resort by sherlyle — 72
18) There is a process, by NoVa Boy — 72
19) Here's the full text of University's reply by Old Redneck — 68
20) Wondering out loud by terrypinder — 65
21) For the moment by RudiB — 65
22) Yes, indeed. We need that by slinkerwink — 64
23) Odd behavior, given Obama ran by Wom Bat — 62
24) It never ceases to amaze me how these by Julie Gulden — 62
25) Spock relies on emotion more than he by zenbassoon — 61
26) Assholes are useful by LaughingPlanet — 61
27) I'm African American, college educated, by majii — 61
28) What's not long-term about corporate domination? by Dallasdoc — 60
29) Or As Josh Wrote At TPM by webranding — 60
30) Populist outrage is a tool by Dallasdoc — 59
31) Well, as i said in another diary I don't want by snackdoodle — 59
32) I've got a two year old who by last starfighter — 59
Top 30 Comments with no exclusions, aka the Tip Jar & Pooties list :-):
1) I stand for competence. by Granny Doc — 684
2) Tip Jar by Meteor Blades — 602
3) Tip Jar by Old Redneck — 567
4) Tip Jar by Muzikal203 — 404
5) Tip Jar by George Lakoff — 337
6) Tip Jar by Fishgrease — 293
7) Tip Jar by slinkerwink — 281
8) Tips for the 14th Amendment and the Constitution by MinistryOfTruth — 248
9) Tip Jar by amk for obama — 240
10) Tip Jar by Clarknt67 — 165
11) Despite popular lore, replying to the... by Meteor Blades — 162
12) Tip Jar by gmoke — 153
13) Tip Jar by jamess — 144
14) Tip Jar by LaurenMonica — 143
15) She'll accomplish more with by last starfighter — 136
16) In lieu of tips... by KingOneEye — 132
17) Obama has had several opportunities... by citizen53 — 130
18) Thank you by BPARTR — 128
19) Oh, and just so we don't let anyone forget... by xsonogall — 117
20) Can Va voters recall Cuccinelli? by Jeff Y — 112
21) Tip Jar by Liveblog — 111
22) Tip Jar by testvet6778 — 102
23) Morning all! by Patric Juillet — 102
24) Friday Tip Jar.............. by Bill in Portland Maine — 100
25) Actions speak louder than any words. by tovan — 99
26) he prefers incrementalism by justmy2 — 99
27) At 11 yrs old, Malia is smarter that Beck is by LaurenMonica — 94
28) I. just. can. not. believe. that. people. here. by Lovepolitics2008 — 93
29) But then there's political competence by Dallasdoc — 92
30) Tip Jar by Overseas — 92