I think everybody should create art. Ok, let me rephrase that….IF you have the desire to create art….CREATE ART.  Write a song, paint a painting, write a poem, do some performance art (stand by the bus stop downtown, take off your clothes, paint a purple B on your stomach and then run like hell from the cops….just an idea).

So many people I know (students, friends, family) TALK about creating something but never get to it. How sad is that? Don’t you realize that you aren’t gonna live forever? Do you want to be on your death bed and think, “Dang, I never wrote that novel!” There are so many reasons not to do it (gotta clean the house, pay bills, watch tv) that it is easy to put it aside. I have a theory….there is a reason why you have a desire to create art. It’s in you for a reason. You were meant to create something.

Now there is a difference between thinking, “boy, it would be cool to write a song” and having a real pull to create something. What holds people back?

Not enough time.

Me: Everyone has the same amount of time. If you need more time get up 1/2 hour earlier. Skip a tv show and create. You don’t need a huge amount of free time. You can do a lot in 15 min.

I have no training.

Me: You want to write music but you have zero training? Check out this guy (short version…records a jazz album without ever learning how to play the piano)….

I might suck

Me: You probably will. Everyone creates really bad art at some point. Look at early Mozart. Not good. Try this….write the worst song ever written. My guess is you will have a lot of fun doing that. Here is something I created that absolutely sucks. I know, many people have told me (I made a techno-remix of a beloved classical guitar piece)…

Final thoughts… Focus on the experience. HAVE FUN

Don’t try to create a masterpiece. That’s too much pressure.

Don’t take it too seriously. Taking it seriously is a great way to make your art REALLY BORING

-Rob