On Being Original

A jack of all trades and master of none.

Or not.

photo credit:  mkelitephotography.com

What if, instead of viewing the level of expertise that you do possess as inferior to that which you aspire,

What if you embrace where you are in this very day, all pieces of your trades combined?

The style you create--it is distinctly you. You don't need it to look like the one on the front cover. Or the back cover. And certainly not the ones in between. That is their style. That style you created? Put yours in your own book. Your work and your style embody the sum of your days and the distinct road you have traveled. It reflects the fingerprints of your efforts, of your experiences, while hinting at your hopes and dreams and aspirations.

It might not be where you intend to leave it, calling it a finished work. But here it is today. Enjoy the victories it embodies. Nudge it to new growth and new tries and new heights. Feed the areas asking to grow. Nurture it because you want to, out of love for the process, for the art. But embrace what is here right now.

Because this: This is today. This is where you are on the creative road. Don't miss out on this moment's fleeting beauty because you long for something else, or someone else's originality. Embrace your culmination of trade bits and pieces.

photo credit:  mkelitephotography.com

We tend to be our own worst critics. I am mine. And I'm working hard to enjoy my skills right where they are at. Pushing my skills to try again, to grow if they are able. But also I'm learning to pull back and see the beauty in the slower process unfolding or recognize that some things have limits. And I'm learning there is a beautiful contentment found in knowing that I'm not a finished work.

And as for this distinct style that I keep seeing emerge, arise, and lingering--that style is mine. I'm learning to embrace the "Master Level" of my own style. I am not just a jack of randomness; I'm the master of where my many trades are culminating. And I'm learning to embrace that originality. I was created to be unique. How much more should my creations embody the same purposeful originality.

Always be creative,

Marie Winfield