Ever have a conversation with someone and certain words just drop on you like a bomb? That happened to me this morning (Monday March 17) at 7:49.
Buckle up for this blog…
I am going to copy/paste what my friend The Oddest Owl wrote me this morning when we talked about someone putting her work down:
“How could anyone understand what you do? Have you worked on your story telling? Have you ever written out exactly why you do what you do? People can only meet concepts as deeply as they’ve met themselves… and a lot of people stay in the shallow waters cause they’re afraid of drowning”
This nailed me good and hard. I thanked her for such powerful words.
Far too often, as artists, we want our works to be admired and revered. But that is not feasible or possible at all. People who belittle our work really have nothing to offer, or at the very least, they wish they could do what we do on a specific level. Granted, art is all about conveying emotion and it’s hard not to take something personally when someone doesn’t understand your trip.
What do people want then?
They want to feel like they can identify with something/someone. If it means dumbing down to lowest common denominator, then some artists are all too willing to do so. Why? Acceptance. The purest art or music comes from someone who is hungry and struggling. It’s raw, real, naked, and genuine. After a while, anger softens and you think “Would be nice to make a few extra bucks and see more people in the room” so you trade in your soul for being around people who pretend to like you.
Did I want mass popularity? Of course. But on my terms. And that doesn’t always happen. Problem is, a lot of people think very commercial-minded. It has to be quick to like or else forget it. My dad used to call it “microwave mentality”, meaning people want to be impressed in 30 seconds or less (or your money back?) I think it was Norm McDonald who said “You are not allowed to be smarter than your audience.” I call bullshit on that. This is why people respond quicker to bland monotony rather than actually absorbing something slowly. This is what society wants! Don’t think! Don’t disagree! Conform or be cast out (“Subdivisions…”)
This is what happens when someone inspires you early on a Monday morning!
OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR 7-STRING GUITARIST STEVE BELLO 
This is an epic post. People want instant fame because it’s human nature. They want instant results. It’s not only in music, but everything. Instant gratification. One of the problems with society these days is people need to slow down and let things happen. When they don’t, they end up missing what could have happened. Maybe nothing would have happened, however, do you want to rick never knowing because you raced through life, never stopping to absorb the things you worked so hard in your life to make it special? A talent has to be nurtured. You can’t necessarily tune out all the negative vibes, however, use them as a learning tool. Pick negative comments apart. Try to find something useful within them. NEVER compromise yourself in the process. One person’s opinion is not written in stone. Life is all about variety. A lot of people look down on me because at my age and since the 80’s I’ve always been many different people. It all depends who I’m around. People are programmed to radiate toward the same old, same old. You and I became friends instantly because of our goofy ways and refusal to “grow up” or “get old”. I’m not a musician, but I’ve heard your playing and it’s very good and intricate. If the crowd you’re playing can’t appreciate serious, professional, specialty guitar playing, then they shouldn’t be there. My point being , be who and what you are. Go slow. Fine tune your life and music and remember that rushing something and looking for instant gratification is like drugs. Drugs are bad. Clear thinking and planning and the best product you can produce are what you’re made of. You do it well. Stop worrying…
Denise
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