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There is a new approach to finding balance that may help artists who face obstacles to sustaining their creative expression: Psychedelic Integration. The work is to integrate spiritual experiences into daily living. The key elements apply to the artist mindset as well, with or without psychedelics. When I discovered this emerging field at a recent Plant Spirit Summit, I felt a journey inside me come to completion. I’ve grown accustomed to disillusionment disrupting my flow of creativity but I never before considered integration as a solution. After hearing how psychedelic integration can balance transformative experiences, I realized that is what’s been missing from my own plight as an artist. Surviving NYC for almost 20 years really leaves a jaded mark on an individual who refuses to play dirty, blur ethical lines, and/or trade favors for opportunities. And yet trying to overcome ethically questionable practices turned into somewhat of an addiction for me. “New York City is a Drug,” says punk band The Dirty Pearls, a relic of the Lower East Side in times past. The city of dreams has shown me several lifetimes' worth of opportunities. There is always #AnotherWay. The city is alive with deviant art, desperate passion, and magical moments everywhere you turn. For years I consumed the energy around me, including all the exploitative practices that suffocate artists. It was just a matter of time before that took its toll. Everyone handles disillusionment differently because it’s a personal experience. I sought metamorphosis at an Ayahuasca retreat in Peru and reclaimed a creativity that had fallen dormant. But how to sustain that upon my return to an exploitive environment? Integration! Most people I’ve encountered in big cities don't speak the language of psychedelic love, the oneness of all things, living and not-living. That kind of thinking doesn’t jive with hustle culture. Unique dreams that find their way to NYC expect to break hearts, trample the competition, and “do what it takes” to succeed. That’s often what it looks like just to survive here. Integration work teaches survival without the sacrifice of deviant sensibilities or artistic expression. Post Peru I was asking, “Do I lower my vibrations to match those around me or call attention to a higher path?” Integration asks, “How do you find balance with integrity?” One side effect of my psychedelic experiences has been to turn away from the spotlight I once craved. Reflecting the light that shines from others feels more aligned with my purpose. But what I’ve discovered is that not everyone can handle their own light. Especially artists, who can feel more comfortable lost in a self-effacing ethos that culture often demands from them. (See my blog: Which came first: the exploited artist or the insecure artist?) Succumbing to a dark ethos isn’t the answer, but neither is imposing ideals. There is a third option: integrating balance. Working in the Arts as long as I have, I’ve seen a lot of artists come and go. Finding sustainability for one’s creative flame faces the same roadblocks across mediums, across disciplines, and across industries. So integration for me has three paths: integrating psychedelic 5-D learnings into my 3-D daily life, integrating a new mindset into communities that see deviant thinking as a threat, and integrating the artistic sensibility into business savvy. That’s #ArtsMeetsBiz! Integration is what I’ve been seeking all along and just knowing there was a path for it turned my spiritual void inside out. This is a calling for me, the latest “Call to Adventure” that makes sense out of the conflict I’ve survived. To that end, I’ve started a new MeetUp community to support artists seeking their own integration. The same struggles I faced as a creative in a city that’s more hustle than flow can manifest uniquely in every artist. Disillusionment is very real. If your experience of it is one and done, you’re one of the lucky ones. People need supportive communities now more than ever. So please join us virtually to share and engage in a constructive dialog around what it means to be an artist today. Whether you’ve discovered your creative talent after a psychedelic experience or are reconnecting to a flame that was extinguished by exploitive practices, your story needs to be heard, recognized, and either celebrated or composted to build a better tomorrow for the Arts. #OneArtistataTime Emileena is writing a book on artist development called ANOTHER WAY. If you are an artist looking for development, consider Emileena's E-Velop program. Original Artwork by Dave Law, freelance visual artist and illustrator. For more, please visit www.davelawart.com.

As a self-identified artist, I want to believe I’m pretty in tune with my emotional intelligence. After all, art is what people turn to to make sense of their own feelings. My favorite music, film, literature, visual art, and even live performance usually derive from the emotional depths of personal experience, even if it’s deeply implicit. But a rather poignant little secret I’ve unearthed in my artist development research is that while creativity feeds off emotions, the artist can rarely control it. Just because someone can express it doesn’t mean they’ve learned to manage it. American conceptual artist Glenn Ligon speaks for artists when he says artwork is, “the way that we figure out who we are, rather than express who we are. …the making of the work is an exploration of what we are.” There is something to be said for the power of releasing that which has been swimming around in your embodied experience unconsciously. When you can name that which you feel, the feeling loses some of its unrestricted reign over your life. But making your emotions conscious doesn’t immediately translate to mastery over them. In some cases, those emotions can take on a weird life of their own. That’s why some kind of mindful, holistic practice is essential to sustainable artist development. #DevelopmentNeverEnds I know this, but I also have an artistic sensibility that can get lost in the intricate poetry of emotions. Sometimes that comes at the expense of my own conscious, sustainable living. This phenomenon is described beautifully in Pixar’s Soul, in the scene where Joe learns that souls can get lost in “The Zone.” So when I shared my Ayahuasca journey recently on the Mamas Boys Podcast, I was caught a little off guard by some buried emotions that surfaced. Having never spoken publicly about my experience with plant medicine, I was blissfully unaware of how much of it had gone unprocessed. There is something transformational and somewhat magical about putting words to buried emotions. What I learned from this process holds valuable lessons for artists regarding unexamined thinking patterns. Here are my three biggest takeaways: 1. Some experiences defy description, and that’s what art is for. Mere words can not fully contain the bizarre world of Ayahuasca and I have still not yet settled on the best way to explain it cohesively. I have, however, been able to touch it at one time or another through various mediums such as literature, song, dance, image, and more. I realize now that my book on artist development is meant to express this experience - it’s my creative process. Maybe I’ve always known this on a subconscious level, but it’s only now that I can articulate it: my book is an artistic representation of the lessons I’ve learned from plant medicine, as told through the mediums of literature (Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey specifically), image (with some help from Dave Law Art), song (follow me on Apple Music), and other multi-media (still in development). 2. Our life experiences are framed by our state of mind. So much of my Ayahuasca Journey was tainted by the jaded disillusionment I felt from navigating the concrete jungle of New York City. Although I have composted most of that in my head, I was surprised by how negative my memories sounded when I recounted them out loud. I was physically ill for most of my stay in Peru, which was easy to write off as altitude sickness, food poisoning, and the dieta I was on pre-retreat. I felt hopeless while Ayahuasca was drawing me into the oneness of Love. The moment I was able to let go and truly embrace this LOVE, all my physical symptoms lifted. It now seems so clear to me that my negative judgements were simply manifesting into my physical experience. 3. Insecurity is a distraction from staying present. After the podcast, I felt immobilized by a familiar insecurity: I tend to get stuck in the past at the expense of moving into the future. In this case, I scrutinized every word I said, fearing it would be misinterpreted hereafter. Hello, ego! As a Daoist, I recognize that the wisdom of the Tao lives in the present, a perfect balance of duality (yin/yang). That means I try not to dwell too long on one side over the other, the past versus the future. But what sometimes happens, as a result, is that I can get lost bouncing between perspectives. I'm not changing the past, I’m not moving forward, and I'm definitely not present. This happens in the second stage of The Sustainability Cycle, which I also call “The Bounce.” In my book I explain that the further you go in your awakening journey, the faster the bounce of perspective happens. But it can also be an intellectual trap that is easy for visionary artists to get lost in (back to “The Zone” in Pixar’s Soul). I’ve been feeling more like Alice Through the Lookingglass. Maybe the Cheshire Cat is right, “We’re all mad here.” In those moments I turn to my box of tools to ground myself back into presence. I like to remind myself that we are all exactly where we need to be. And since Time is Relative, you can’t fuck up your own journey. This helps my anxiety when my ego is making a lot of noise. #DevelopmentNeverEnds ---- Perhaps I’ll never be able to capture Ayahuasca in its majesty and it will keep swimming around unexpressed as I stumble through life. Who knows what hidden emotions will be revealed if and when they do surface. But grounding into presence, being here now, feels more manageable than worrying about what will be or what has been. So now that I’ve processed the recounting of my Ayahuasca experience, there is still the wisdom of the plant medicine left to digest. The love that I felt, and now know I hold inside, can consume any and every negative experience past, present, or future. I can even love myself, which feels strangely radical to say out loud. But that simple takeaway is worth all the disillusionment that came before. So while I continue integrating these lessons into my life, one day at a time, I can never erase the visceral messaging I received atop that mountainside in Peru: Love is always the answer. Listen to The Mamas Boys Podcast: Ayahuasca, Creativity and Artist Management Emileena is writing a book on artist development called ANOTHER WAY. If you are an artist looking for development, consider Emileena's E-Velop program. Original Artwork by Dave Law, freelance visual artist and illustrator. For more, please visit www.davelawart.com.

Artists love to complain about the squeezed funding dedicated to the Arts, an unpleasant reality that has seen decreased spending on the Arts starting, arguably, with Reaganomics. I’ve shared that narrative in almost every presentation, workshop, and event I’ve produced. But what I’m starting to see now is that more than the lack of funding, it’s the very system itself that is broken. Specifically, non-profits that are created to fund under-served artists simply cannot keep up with the demand. There are just too many people awakening to the artist within. I think we’re finally starting to see that the answer to the squeezed Arts industries is not to find more money, nor create more organizations. All that does is replicate the same problems. In an increasingly diverse environment (which was always diverse, society is just now starting to embrace it), what we need is more diverse systems! But the point of this article is not to offer a solution. There will always be #AnotherWay, which means no one way will ever be a cure-all for everyone equally. Instead, I’d like to suggest that we are in a time of unpreceded opportunity precisely because our systems are collapsing. The events that have transpired since 2020 have catalyzed interest in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Most notably, integration of the BIPOC, BLM, and LGBTQ perspectives has been given a greater weight inside the workplace. Both corporations and non-profits have increased their efforts to ensure representation. This in turn supports inclusive narratives that will propel the organization’s footprint into a post-pandemic environment. This all sounds very forward-thinking, exciting, and…modern. It seems we are in the season of the “individual.” Time’s Person of the Year in 2011 was “The Protestor,” so it seems appropriate, in my mind, if “The Individual” assumed the prestigious title for 2022. In a recent New York Times article about the Global Culture Wars, David Brooks writes that the idealized vision of globalization that the majority accepted in the 1990s, has since devolved: “This was an optimistic vision of how history would evolve, a vision of progress and convergence. Unfortunately, this vision does not describe the world we live in today. The world is not converging anymore; it’s diverging.” Western thinking was built on patriarchal views that strived for a unified ideal. We are the United States, after all. But in the Year of the Individual, it seems to me that the very concept of unity is flawed. And while some people may be upset about the splintering of our collective, I see this moment as having tremendous potential. We are sitting in a liminal time in history. That means that buried in the chaos of broken systems is the opportunity to create #AnotherWay. Creativity thrives in the liminal space. As many people still have one foot firmly planted in the comfortable, predictable way of life that was pre-pandemic, we are simultaneously stepping into a new reality. It’s a paradigm shift where technology is a deity, to be worshipped or crucified, and temporal unpredictability is the new normal. We’ve lost favor for those in dominant, wealthy positions of power, such as government officials, religious leaders, and even educational institutions. Allegiance seems to lie, more so than ever, with an individualized identity. So I leave you with a prompt to consider in your own life: How can you build a new narrative that doesn’t attempt to unite, but also doesn’t suppress? Your answer is the creative thread that you carry in this time of chaos. According to mythologist Michael Meade, if we each carry our own thread, we can collectively weave a new reality. Be the change. Emileena is writing a book called ANOTHER WAY, the Dao of Artist Development. If you are an artist looking for development, consider Emileena's E-Velop program. Original Artwork by Dave Law, freelance visual artist and illustrator. For more, please visit www.davelawart.com.

2020 was indeed the year of clarity. It may not have been the clarity we wanted, but it kept coming, over and over again. It felt to me like an earthquake inside our collective consciousness. There was no formal warning, many people were less prepared than they realized, and the damage is still being measured. In fact, the aftershocks just keep coming… The COVID virus was only the incendiary. I found the response, or lack thereof, to the pandemic most troubling. As the cracks in our institutions were exposed, it revealed just how broken those systems really are. And it has left us splintered. It’s a fitting time for The Mandalorian to bring the Star Wars themes of good versus evil back into popular culture. The show is a technological achievement beyond what we’ve seen before, marrying man and machine in a whole new way and bringing with it an epic battle for what’s right and what’s just. It was exactly this duality of light and dark forces, man versus machine, that made change so difficult to accept this year. Human nature’s desire to innovate comfort has proven counterproductive to evolution. The more comfortable we are, the more complacent, blind, and ignorant we become. Why is it so hard to accept that we cannot relax into comfort at the expense of other human beings? Even our precious technology can’t rescue the masses from sickness, loneliness, and disillusionment. We are approaching one year since the pandemic hit America – have we accepted change yet? Today’s socio-economic environment is increasingly calling for common ground. But how can we find balance in a culture that feels more divided than ever, lost between dualities? Lying peacefully at the center of it all, as always, is the Dao. A Jedi master would call it the force. Lao Tzu wrote, "The Tao is always at ease. It overcomes without competing, answers without speaking a word, arrives without being summoned, accomplishes without a plan." Let us examine the dualities we are caught between so that we may find ourselves. It’s just a bounce off the top, bottom, and back, a third time, to center. Three is the key to unlocking the Dao. Three is also the sacred number of the trinity, divinity, and even comedy. Earth is the third planet from the sun and Goldilocks had to meet three bears to find what was “just right.” Business, economics, art, and music, all pull from the power of three. But across the board, the third bounce back to center is too often abandoned in the haste of discomfort! Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey, aptly called the Monomyth, is a story about the pursuit of the middle way, or Dao. It’s more commonly described as the individual’s plight to find a personal identity (ego-death) while simultaneously describing the evolution of humanity as a whole. It is a template for finding the balance between both; a lofty order that, for the most part, delivers. But as we discovered in the year of clarity, nothing is quite as simple as it seems. There are always monsters lurking in the darkness, pulling us away from our center. There will always be duality. The Hero’s Journey American mythologist Joseph Campbell was greatly influenced by the pop-psychology of the 1940s and ‘50s. He pulled from Carl Jung’s work around archetypes to devise the Monomyth. The symbology has somehow transcended time and location, incarnating in every culture to guide human consciousness. It provided the basic structure for The Hero’s Journey, as presented in Campbell's 1949 book, The Hero With a Thousand Faces. The Hero’s Journey can be either a spiritual metamorphosis or a physical voyage of transcendence. Most often it translates to a developmental rite of passage, overcoming a great obstacle, dark force, and/or ego itself. Take, for example, the venture of Luke Skywalker’s battle between the forces of good and evil. George Lucas hailed Campbell as his ‘Yoda’ because he drew much of his inspiration from The Hero’s Journey. Christopher Vogler, a story development veteran in Hollywood, went on to translate the Monomyth into a manual for filmmakers called The Writer’s Journey (1998). But Joseph Campbell's work is a template at the end of the day and the point of my #AnotherWay work is to break free of templates. As we close out a tumultuous year of clarity, I've found three criticisms of The Hero's Journey particularly relevant: Cultural Appropriation Campbell draws on creation stories, myths, and folklore from around the world to build the Monomyth template. He does not question whether that is appropriate, respectful, or hurtful to the intended purposes of the stories’ originators. There is no universal perspective - that's what makes life beautiful. There is art in the diverse interpretations of symbols that have either gone into its design or have emerged since. Remember my earlier study of how language is just a connotation of meaning. Campbell himself writes: “Symbols are only the vehicles of communication; they must not be mistaken for the final term, the tenor, of their reference. No matter how attractive or impressive they may seem, they remain but convenient means, accommodated to the understanding. Mistaking a vehicle for its tenor may lead to the spilling not only of valueless ink, but of valuable blood.” This does not, of course, excuse cultural appropriation. Campbell was most of all a student of literature. While he did share conversations with cultural leaders, most of his material appears to be sourced for his own convenient means. His writings do, however, reveal his desire to transcend all attachments to them. Anthropocentrism I find this one the most troubling and difficult to untangle. Anthropocentrism is a human-centric worldview; that humans are the most important entity in the universe and therefore all interpretations of the world are biased toward human values and experiences. Since I am a human, I’m really not sure how to overcome that bias. Some thought leaders, like Bayo Akomolafe, navigate it effortlessly and quite poetically. Humans are but a very small part of a larger, more complex whole. Whether that whole is of organic, artificial, spiritual, or divine origins, may just be incomprehensible to the human brain. #WeAreOne is not limited to human beings. Nor is the Dao reserved only for life. Yoda moves objects with his mind because he taps into the force (or Dao) to become one with them. It is worth noting Akomolafe’s criticism of The Hero’s Journey that there is no voice given to the monster the Hero is trying to defeat, even if that monster is the human ego. Campbell gives countless examples of mythological personifications of the ego as a monster, demon, or other scary entity. While it is easy to recognize those metaphors, there is also philosophical value behind recognizing the ego as an equal. "[T]he way we respond to the crisis, the way we attempt to defeat the monster, is the crisis.” The ego is the other half of the duality that makes us human. The purpose of listening to the ego is to find balance. Bounce off the top (ego), bottom (ego death), and back, a third time, to center (the Dao). Masculine Bias It would be myopic to dismiss that Campbell was a white male, raised in an upper-middle-class Irish Catholic family. There are benefits and blindfolds that come with that perspective that has pervaded American history since its inception. As such, it must also be acknowledged that I bring a middle-class, white female perspective to my analysis. Vogler opens his third edition of The Writer’s Journey with a preface about what he learned since the first publication. It includes a discussion about what he sees as the difference between the male and female experience of the Monomyth. Instead of a linear passage of stages, he explains that women tend to experience development in more of a spiral. “I believe that much of the journey is the same for all humans, since we share many realities of birth, growth, and decay, but clearly being a woman imposes distinct cycles, rhythms, pressures, and needs. Men’s journeys may be in some sense more linear, proceeding from one outward goal to the next, while women’s journeys may spin or spiral inward and outward.” I would go so far as to say, however, that the spiral metaphor works better for both women and men. We are entering an age that some Native American scholars have called a return to the divine feminine. Female energy tends to be more flexible than the masculine, making it easier to change. But the power of this unified duality is found in the Yin/Yang symbol, a balance of both energies. --- The infinity of the spiral reminds us that #DevelopmentNeverEnds. In any given moment, we can be at any stage in any order, and even all stages at the same time (duality). This eternal moment is the Dao, where time is relative. There will always be unseen forces at play. The earth will still quake inside the Dao, but it’s a little easier to ride if you are one with the earth. Either way, it's going to take a journey. Emileena is writing a book called ANOTHER WAY, the Dao of Artist Development. If you are an artist looking for development, consider Emileena's E-Velop program. Original Artwork by Dave Law, freelance visual artist and illustrator. For more, please visit www.davelawart.com.

Ever since completing my epic two-part blog on ego, I’ve found writing surprisingly difficult. My ego is still retaliating against me. And in all fairness, ego really is such a beautiful story-teller, far superior to me. I enjoy the stories. More so, however, when I recognize them as such. But with the state of the world thrust into disruption, it seems fitting to explore some deeper truths that have been bubbling to the surface of late. To get there requires stripping away even more layers of ego. Thankfully, if not ironically, the pandemic has afforded us time to examine and question the narratives we’ve fallen in love with. The stories about the people, circumstances, and environments we face in our lives are all written by ego. They are not an expression of the true, aligned you. Consider the last assumption you made about a person, place, or thing that turned out to be wrong. Maybe it was a simple misunderstanding. That was your ego at work. One way to start recognizing ego is by tuning into such memories; feeling the emotional landscape of the narrative and then detaching from it. Become aware of your awareness. Allow a space between processing what is difficult to process, and the processing process itself. I have found that pause can transcend space and time, revealing deeper truths. Grabbing the moment to just be is a lovely way to drop into the Dao. The Dao...or middle, non-duality, balance, alignment. In that moment, there is a detachment from narratives. This is ego-death, but it's not finite. The stories written by ego serve a larger purpose. They are myths, symbolic representations of truth that may come in handy, particularly during times of disillusionment...if you can recognize them as such. The Bible is made up of powerful, symbolic stories, written by ego. They are interpretations of truth with morals that are useful even in modern times. But we’ve all seen the dangers that come from taking those stories too literally. And so it is, I believe, with the Law of Attraction (LOA). American history has a history of exploiting other traditions for their riches (e.g. yoga, Buddhism), “developing” and selling them as commercial resources (i.e. capitalism), and ignoring the rich cultural context from whence they came. There was a time the LOA turned into a very westernized, postmodern religion almost. The Law of Attraction came to sound too idealistic for many. The base idea that you can really have anything you want...if you only just believe… Most of the things I believed were coming to me in my 20s somehow lost their way. That is until they found me, usually as warped versions of what I originally wanted, in my 30s. When they did come, I didn’t want them anymore. In hindsight, I think I mangled up the process with misinformed or half-concocted intentions. So I thought it long overdue to analyze the Law of Attraction in practice. There are three lenses I use in my work that are particularly helpful here: Daoism, Gratitude, and the universal Truth that We Are One. Daoism: the Duality of Judgement The fundamental disconnect I first found in the Law of Attraction is the “want” side of it. Traditional Buddhism encourages the release of judgement and the release of attachments. Anything you could possibly want is, by definition, a desire. Desire causes suffering, but it is what birthed us and sustains our lives. So the purpose of a Buddhist life is to meditate and cultivate mindfulness to eventually attain nirvana, the only state sans desire. Now within Buddhist philosophy, there are variations on the theme of desire, including craving, expectations, and wants. At the heart of it all, as this Daoist sees it, is judgement. Judgement functions along a spectrum of good and bad. Surely there are terrible acts that are easy to condemn, such as war, rape, murder, etc. There are also acts that are easy to praise, such as triumph, success, and love. Thich Nhat Hanh was a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, author, and peace activist. Martin Luther King, Jr. called him “An apostle of peace and nonviolence.” After the Vietnam war, Hanh learned of a twelve-year-old girl who was raped by a pirate and then killed herself. In his poem, Please Call Me By My True Names, he writes, “I am the twelve-year-old girl, refugee on a small boat, who throws herself into the ocean after being raped by a sea pirate. And I am the pirate, my heart not yet capable of seeing and loving.” You can not have one end of the judgement spectrum without the other. At the very core of a Zen Buddhist’s compassion is the release of all judgement, good and bad. Traditional Buddhists call it Nirvana. A Daoist would say there only is and call this place, the Dao. I call it flow or alignment. Some people even describe this middle road as non-duality. Gratitude Part of the bastardization of the Law of Attraction includes a belief that the universe manifests on an ego-centric measurement of time. You already have everything you need within. You carry it inside you at all times and instead of focusing outward, an inward focus will reveal your Way (or Dao). By cultivating your own mind, you will simply BE. That is where you will find gratitude. And once you’ve discovered true gratitude, you find it has its own energy. That energy unlocks Truth. The energy exchange that makes life dynamic is what the Law of Attraction is really all about. It is written in the Bible to "give, and it will be given to you." You get what you put out. It is energy, not ‘wants.’ Some believe that energy comes back to you in the form of “wants.” It may or may not, but the larger dynamic at play is energy. We Are One SGI International, a community created around Nichiren Buddhism, chants together privately and collectively around the world. Their core philosophy in the words of SGI President Daisaku Ikeda is this: “That each of us has unfathomable potential, and in striving to bring this forth....we undergo a process of positive internal change that affects our family, our workplace, society and ultimately the entire web of life.” This community chants not only for their own happiness but for the happiness of others. The chant is Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. As it was explained to me, Renge roughly translates to “non-linear cause and effect.” Less literal than the Law of Attraction, “Renge” means the happiness you chant for others will return to you. But the return may be in an unrecognizable form. Not unlike the Bible’s “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” In National Geographic’s docu-series, The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, Freeman explores “The Power of Miracles:” “Everything that happens to us is a result of things that we are connected to. What we call divine intervention is merely connections we weren’t aware of. Makes me wonder if we shouldn’t maybe stop trying so hard to control our lives and learn to ride the wave of life.” ----- I would attribute the popularity of the Law of Attraction to an irresistible desire for divine intervention. This is a desire, and desire is a cause of suffering according to the Buddha. He offered four Noble Truths as a way to break free from suffering, achieve Nirvana, and align with Truth. I would sum up these Truths with the following dictum: Surrender Control. Why hold on to anything that does not serve you? Release control of your circumstance and release attachment to judgement. That is how to find alignment with your own flow, a Nirvana that lies within us all, because We Are One. That is why there is always #AnotherWay. Everything is perfect when you live in the moment. It is only the ego trying to sway you away from that. Emileena is writing a book called ANOTHER WAY, the Tao of Artist Development. If you are an artist looking for development, consider Emileena's E-Velop program. Original Artwork by Dave Law, freelance visual artist and illustrator. For more, please visit www.davelawart.com.

“And life is too short to be staying inside But I didn't realize I ran from the light”* In my last blog, I identified ego as the voice in your head that sources all things exaggerated. The ego has also mastered sustainability, so while we may achieve ego death in any given moment, there will always be a return until we are able to live each moment in true presence. Development Never Ends. If you are creative-minded, you tend to experience the extremes of both sides, which makes it easier to find the middle road (a.k.a. balance). It helps to remember that if you are experiencing discomfort of any kind, it is only your ego assigning judgement. Examples from my work with artists include: “This work is below me” or “I worked too long/hard to be here.” “People don’t understand, fund, or appreciate my work/art.” “There are too many artists and not enough work.” “I’m not getting paid enough.” “I don’t have enough money for development.” Below are 10 tools to consider when struggling with ego-driven thoughts. They may not seem like problem-solving solutions, but when practiced with discipline, they will cultivate a mindset to help you navigate discomfort and uncertainty, a.k.a. a career in the Arts. #ArtsMeetsBiz Each one has played its part in helping me find sustainability, but I call upon different tools at different times. So although they are numbered, there is no order. Experiment with what works for you and call upon them as needed. #DevelopmentNeverEnds Tool 1: Zoom into the Moment Stop dead in your tracks when discomfort arises (you can do this anywhere). Set an alarm for 5 minutes - this is YOU time. Release all external circumstances and shift your focus inward. Scroll through each of your senses: Sight: What are you looking at? If it’s distracting close your eyes and focus on the blank canvas behind your eyes. Touch: What does your clothes feel like against your skin - what sensations do you feel? Cold/hot/wind, etc. Smell: What do you smell? Taste: What taste do you have in your mouth? Even if it’s nothing, stop and recognize it; feel it. Hearing: What do you hear? Start in the room, then expand outside, into the trees, traffic, and continue outward. Can you hear the sun’s rays? The moonlight? For those five minutes, you are Living in the Moment where Time is Relative. Follow those links to blogs I’ve written around the topic of finding freedom in the moment. It’s a lovely respite from ego. Tool 2: The Mirror Effect Surround yourself by healthy people who can act as mirrors - they will reflect your ego...making it easier to recognize and redirect. If you experience annoyance, impatience, judgement, etc., it is likely your ego getting in the way of an authentic reflection. The Mirror Effect is the return trip of a projection cast by you. The hardest thing to do sometimes is to take an honest look at your reflection. In Halsey’s Control, she sings “I couldn’t stand the person inside me / I turned all the mirrors around.” When people are suffering, we tend to isolate, which gives ego free reign to dominate your thinking. But love begets love. So in effect, you can start to cast your life by engaging the Mirror Effect with everyone you encounter, equally. Read The Mirror Effect for more. Tool 3: Gratitude Gratitude lists really work. If you find yourself fighting ego, take a moment to mentally list off everything you are grateful for. Stellar lunch? Cool socks? Health? Family? Do you have a roof over your head and food on your table? Sometimes these lists can be really difficult to get out, but don’t stop until ego backs off. Start the list now so you can refer to it in times of trouble. It really does reset the connections in your brain and will subconsciously change your mood. Try it! Tool 4: Love and Compassion Love is the answer to everything. Everything. Think of the biggest roadblock in your life. Is there a person pissing you off? A missed opportunity or inconsistency? That’s only ego assigning a negative judgement. What would happen if you funneled love towards those areas in your life instead of anger? Even if you can’t offer love in real life, send love mentally. The effect to your brain chemistry is similar to making a gratitude list. Love begets love. Tool 5: Nature/Daoism Nature gives you perspective. A friend said to me that when she gets overwhelmed she likes to look upon a vast landscape of nature, whether it be a field, mountain, or even the sky. It reminds her how small we are in the grand scheme of things. So is everything ego tells us is “Amazing!” or “Terrible!” (I imagine the donkey from Shrek here...not unlike ego’s nagging voice in your head!) Lao Tzu says “Nature does not hurry, and yet it’s always on time.” As I explained in my Daoism blog, “I believe there is a metaphor for every life lesson, represented somehow in the natural world.” If you find yourself asking philosophical questions, look to nature for answers. Tool 6: Science When people believed the Earth was flat, we got a limited experience of the world. Now that we are familiar with our planet, scientific attention has shifted to the cosmos. And so the great astronomists of today ask: “Is the universe flat, or is it a finite circle like the Earth?” It turns out, there is always more to explore, discover, identify, and theorize. Just look at all the excitement around the recent images of a black hole! Let that be a metaphor for life. Our understanding will forever evolve. So how can you ever know the outcomes of any predicament? We can’t! The future is unknowable. Your ego is trying to convince you to assign judgement because a judgement call immediately places limitation. Limiting our understanding takes away the possibility for #AnotherWay. Tool 7: Simulation Theory Inspired by the Double Slit experiment in 1801, Quantum Physics has slowly set out to dissect the idea that reality does not exist until we experience it. Simply put, this is the theory we live in a matrix. Or that our world only populates when we walk into it, just like a computer game is programmed to respond to the player’s chosen direction (e.g. Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto, etc.). The value of this concept takes away all negative judgements around your circumstances ...because it’s all for you! Instead of focusing on negative interpretations, consider what value there is. Flip the script and enjoy the world as it is being sculpted for you: the trees/the birds, friends/strangers, art, coincidences or circumstances accompanied by opportunity… This sounds like a gratitude list! Inside a simulated reality, everything is for you. But remember, all things must be in balance with humility. Love begets love. You can choose your experience of the circumstances you find yourself in. Tool 8: Surrender Control Despite all the misguided proclamations around the Law of Attraction, your life does not unfold at your whim. To quote OutKast’s Ms. Jackson: “You can plan a pretty picnic, but you can’t predict the weather.” Unless you are living in a vacuum inside a black hole somewhere (in which case, try getting out some!), you need to interact with others in situations that are not always ideal for the picnic you planned for your life. You can’t control other people. You can’t always control the circumstances you find yourself in (i.e. exploitation). It’s a dog-eat-dog world and sometimes you’ve got to swim with the sharks. One way to temper Ego is to recognize you don’t have control over anything external. You can only control yourself and your reactions to your circumstances. Don’t let ego convince you you can control the weather. Breathe deeply and release all your frustrations to the wind. Surrender control. Tool 9: Release Judgement The earliest memory I have of my ego was learning to ride a bike. I remember feeling convinced the weight of the bicycle was too heavy for my little body to ride it. I thought there was no way an adult could understand that feeling because they weren’t as small as me - it wasn’t heavy to them. There was judgement. I resented the feeling that no one could possibly understand me. But that was only ego. Placing judgement on people, situations, and relationships, is an ego-driven mindset. Recognize the uncomfortable feelings as ego & trace the judgement that is behind it. (e.g. The bike is too heavy. Nobody understands me.) Remove the judgement by evaluating it next to its opposite. (e.g. The bike is mine to navigate & adults are helping me.) You can see your opposite by engaging in The Mirror Effect (Tool #2) with an opposing personality, as long as you are open and compassionate with the reflection. Love begets love. Tool 10: Release Attachment Judgement is usually masking an attachment. If you can get past the judgement, you will likely unveil an attachment. The most common attachments I’ve encountered in the Arts are around money. Feeling limited by your financial situation is only an attachment to money. If you release that belief and focus your energy elsewhere (i.e. development, networking, your craft), resources tend to reveal themselves. These resources might not come in the form of funding, but they offer possibility. I am always surprised to discover hidden resources from the artists I work with, sometimes after months of coaching. They might slip out an inside connection they felt was tapped out or not useful. All resources are advantageous if employed strategically. This is why Heros Need Coaches. ----- None of this work can be done alone so accept help when it is offered. Every moment is an opportunity if you choose to make it so. It’s hard work; it’s mindset work. But it’s crucial in the development process and essential to sustaining #AnotherWay. You can even appreciate ego’s bombardment of extremes by remembering solace can only be found in the middle. If these help you find #AnotherWay, please share! That’s #ArtsMeetsBiz! Emileena is writing a book called ANOTHER WAY, the Tao of Artist Development. If you are an artist looking for development, consider Emileena's E-Velop program. Original Artwork by Dave Law, freelance visual artist and illustrator. For more, please visit www.davelawart.com. *Rex Orange County Lyrics by Ben Baptie / Alexander James O'Connor

There are a number of subconscious influences that impact an artist’s success, from the cultural and sociological, to the personal and psychological. (See my previous blog Exploitation vs. Insecurity.) But in the process of writing my book on artist development, I discovered one that surpassed them all. It was only when I applied some #ArtsMeetsBiz that I began to get a handle on my competition, the single biggest influence to blame for the loss of so many talented artists. I’m speaking, of course, of ego. If self-esteem is an artist’s greatest weakness, you can bet that ego is in the driver's seat. We’ve all seen artists with inflated confidence in public, quietly suffering from depression or addiction, privately. Celebrities such as Sinead O’Connor, Selena Gomez, Jared Padalecki, Chester Bennington, and Anthony Bourdain have all spoken publicly about these struggles. So I started a case study on my own ego, and what unfolded was the unlikeliest of love stories between a girl and her ego. It’s disgusting. But I just can’t quit you ego... Let me start with some context. The Daoist in me tends to see the world in dualities. And so it appeared to be no different when I began dissecting my own ego. What I discovered was a manifestation of extremes. Most people understand the ego to be an inflated sense of self, an illusion of grandeur. But it's most defining characteristic, in my point of view, is that it attacks you from both sides of the self-esteem spectrum. That voice inside your head telling you you’re not good enough is the same voice that will, in the same breath, tell you you’re better than everyone else. They are two sides of the same ego. My love affair began when I finally started to question why after seemingly positive events in my life I would so quickly question or doubt myself, or generally feel...crappy. Now, full disclosure, depression runs in my family. Yet, as I journeyed further along Joseph Campbell’s Hero's Journey in my personal artistic development, I realized there was another culprit. My Ego. Excerpts from Ego Dossier, Part 3: I call my Ego ‘he.’ Probably because he feels like the yang to my yin... a fifth limb that can never be severed. He sneaks up on me when I least expect it and squeezes himself into the smallest cracks in my confidence. If I identify him as a magician and pull the curtain back on his tricks, he just transforms into something else. What I learn of this secret agent man today, changes tomorrow. He is continually evolving just out of my grasp, taking on any voice, yet unknown. He’s the character we all love to hate, the handsome serial killer, the elusive romantic. He’s the bottle of your favorite poison and the burn that comes when the medicine goes down. --- But let this not be a love letter to my Ego. I only admire his relentless transformation. That kind of routine adaptation to the present situation is what I’m striving for when I extol the values of living in the moment. Ego has mastered #sustainability. But if it sounds like I’m glorifying the ego, just remember my attraction is the same I would have for the "bad boy"; despite his handsome allure, he’ll never stop treating me like shit. It's the kind of love that steals your happiness when you're looking the other way. But he always returns for more… Let this instead be a road map to recognizing ego, and crushing it the way you would your biggest competitor. You don’t need to put them out of business, just stay ahead of the game. Speaking of which, I’ve been trying to write this blog for months. Not surprisingly, it has been very difficult to get out. That dance we do with ego, it’s not so much a tango. It feels more like a chicken dance: clunky, awkward, and extremely annoying. Excerpts from Ego Dossier, Part 1: I turned down many a suitor waiting for a prince. All the while, Ego stood by me, quick to tear down anyone less dedicated. Ego said, "Surely there is a better lover ahead, and this one is not worth losing a future one." There were hordes of praise for my art, but when the people/institutions who supposedly “support artists” all passed, Ego was there to pass judgement right back. He said, "They don't recognize talent. They are all unworthy of the greatness that lies within you." Eventually it became evident that no opportunity or person would ever live up to Ego’s exaggerated sense of worth. Ego said: "Flowers mean nothing if they aren’t attached to checks." When times got tough, Ego convinced me I was a failure. There was no more opportunity, ever. "Your life," Ego said, "is over before it ever began." But even in complete solitude, Ego kept close. He was more like a screaming child than a best friend, but even an echo can be better than nothing when you're in darkness. After all, if a tree falls... ---- An artist I worked with for years used to fear that if there was no one around to hear his tree falling in the forest, it wouldn’t make a sound. He was referring to his art, and to a larger extent, his life. He was so good at keeping people out that he was afraid he would disappear in his own forest...that his trees, or art, wouldn’t make any noise in the outside world. Which begged the question - did those trees ever really fall at all? My case study on ego taught me that we spend too much time staring at fallen trees. We're only looking to see who has heard, seeking approval, validations, and judgement. That is ego directing our focus toward outside reactions. In actuality, we are each surrounded by a forest populated with trees at our disposal. If no one hears one, move on to the next. Why measure a forest by a singular tree? Excerpts from Ego Dossier, Part 2: Those flowers Ego told me were worth nothing still whispered inspiration. That inspiration carried seeds that soon sprouted hope. The counterfeit princes and failed business deals were nothing but downed trees...tragic, but dead and gone. What were the opportunities I was missing by being distracted by all of Ego’s negative arguments? What would happen if I stood up to Ego by being grateful for what is instead of dwelling on what could be? What if...I loved myself instead of loving Ego? --- Another artist I worked with once asked me “How do I know if I’ve fallen too far in love with myself?” I was encouraging him to show more of his feathers when he performed, to let loose. He laughed off the thought (ego manifesting as doubt), but it was a good question. There is no "too" in love with yourself if you are authentic and balanced with humility and gratitude. Lao Tzu said, “When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” This is The Mirror Effect. That only happens when you release judgement. You cannot be too in love with yourself, but then neither can anyone else. There are only shades of ego. And it is never too late to become your authentic self because you already are. It is only ego that clouds the way. It was in fact ego holding this artist back. And isn’t that ironic? He was afraid of ego taking over...when in fact ego was already winning. And that’s the tricky thing about ego - it usually takes the form you’re looking away from. It will pick whichever side happens to be vulnerable at the moment. It likes to win. And since ego is my biggest competitor in the business of making sustainable artists, maybe it’s not so bad that I admire its perseverance. It certainly keeps me on my toes! Excerpts from Ego Dossier, Part 4. Conclusion: If I recognize everything Ego says as an extreme, I get to experience both “sides.” That makes it easier to find the middle. The middle must be in the moment because it is not confined by the past, nor attached to the future. The only place I find respite from Ego is in the moment. There Ego's judgements mean nothing, bearing no weight on a past that no longer exists and a future that is unknown. Could remaining in the middle of extremes, in the moment, be a way to harmonize with Ego? Ego has shown me how to live in the moment, #sustainability...I just might be grateful for Ego after all. --- Ego is, in fact, a useful tool that can be a reminder of balance. When ego demands the spotlight, its sole purpose is to balance what you're thinking/feeling with the opposite extreme. But in that is an opportunity...to find the middle, the moment. Most people think teaching artists business means giving them a template business plan, crunching numbers, teaching some legalese, and providing insider contacts. I do all that, but it’s not going to provide sustainability. #ArtsMeetsBiz is an opportunity mindset: recognizing, analyzing, and maximizing opportunity. The only way to do that is to manage the ego, by staying in the moment. For more tips on how to manage the ego, read Part II: Ten Tools for Managing Ego. Emileena is writing a book called ANOTHER WAY, the Tao of Artist Development. If you are an artist looking for development, consider Emileena's E-Velop program. Original Artwork by Dave Law, freelance visual artist and illustrator. For more, please visit www.davelawart.com.

One of the classic Christmas songs I grew up with is “All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth).” “....so I can wish you Merry Christmas.” In the 1948 song by Spike Jones & His City Slickers, the singer whimpers “no one can unders-s-s-stand me.” I can relate. Maybe it was growing up with a lawyer for a father, feeling like I had to “define the terms” before digging into a conversation. Being naturally inclined to rebel….well you can imagine the hilarity that ensued, to the tune of “Who’s on the First?” Part of being an artist means you’re probably going to be misunderstood by someone at some point. Usually it’s society: “Is that art?!” I’ve always felt limited expressing myself with 2-D words for my 3-D thoughts. So instead of struggling with language, I just created my own, using metaphors, images, and poetry to communicate in the panoramic. But people only comprehend words or concepts that they recognize from elsewhere in their lives; connotations and intonations for which they have personally assigned meaning. In “Man and His Symbols”, Carl Jung explains: “Man uses the spoken or written word to express the meaning of what he wants to convey. [But a] word or an image is symbolic when it implies something more than its obvious and immediate meaning. It has a wider ‘unconscious’ aspect that is never precisely defined or fully explained.” Enter connotation. In the Google Dictionary definition of connotation, under the “philosophy” heading, it reads: “the abstract meaning or intention of a term, which forms a principle determining which objects or concepts it applies to.” Jung gives an example: “When, with all our intellectual limitations, we call something ‘divine,’ we have merely given it a name, which may be based on a creed, but never on factual evidence.” And so connotations imply a cultural agreement. But I never agreed that when I use the word faith, for instance, that I am speaking about religion. The first definition of faith in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is loyalty to a duty, person, or one’s promises; a “sincerity of intentions.” Even the Bible defines faith in Hebrews 11:1 as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” I have faith that I’m not going to die from the West Nile virus...even if I might be statistically vulnerable. That’s why it’s faith, and not based on subscription to a religion. (Won’t that suck if I do die from West Nile?!) Peter Thompson writes in The Guardian’s article “Faith is not the same as religion”: “I would say any movement that seeks social change and improvement is a faith-based one. It has to be, otherwise there would be no reason to hope for something better.” And so we fight wars over interpretations (or connotations) of religion, political documents like the Declaration of Independence, or even thoughtless tweets. It’s because connotations are easily manipulated. How do you use the word faith? It’s easy to see how artists thinking outside the box can get lost in translation. But misrepresentation, a.k.a. miscommunication, has repercussions that ripple across the industry. It’s a natural outcome when artists give their biggest financial and career decisions to outside representatives, an “other,” be it a label, manager/agent, investor/producer, gallery owner, etc. Artists that don’t read the fine print in their contracts, or who trade services without appreciating the value exchange, set precedents in the industry that are easy to exploit. For every vulnerability, there are countless “others” ready to capitalize on it. This is how I see connotation functioning. Trendsetters, change-makers, and social influencers set definitions and connotations. And they stick. Kleenex anyone? That’s a brand name, not a product. One way to manage artistic communications is through branding. For the Arts, a brand must reflect the artist’s authentic self (even fine art carries a signature). What is art if not a representation of the artist, whether in physical form or perspective? If your brand is not a direct representation of you, you can kiss a long-term career goodbye. Authenticity is sustainable because it adapts with you. My friend in recovery says “evolve or die.” Word. Finding your authentic self is the tough part. But it starts by first recognizing that nothing you think is static (as in language), is in reality, steady. There is no constant in anything! Quantum physics continues to dissect the speed of light and I demonstrated in an earlier blog that time itself is relative. It’s pretty crazy to let the idea of language being fluid penetrate your worldview. It truly is a paradigm shift. You know who understands paradigm shifts? Scientists. Those people who taught us that the Earth is round. Theorists think beyond our scope of reality for a living! And then they have to figure out how to measure and prove it (i.e. the scientific method). Just watch Neil deGrasse Tyson’s COSMOS. I see a direct correlation between scientists and artists, who chart new territories of art, forging new ways to express themselves, i.e. their brand. Since I struggle with words, I prefer visual images, videos, tropes, and especially the all-encompassing hashtag. Hashtags have become an alternative language. If I put a hashtag in front of a word, I’ve branded it with my own connotation. That’s #ArtsMeetsBiz. In my Word-of-the-Days I merge the vocal, visual, and aural to shape meaning. Panoramic, like how I think. The people who respond to my hashtags reflect my messaging back to me (The Mirror Effect). Like when a bunch of weightlifters started following me and I couldn’t figure out why they were so into my content. Then I saw the way they use the same motivational words I do to push athletic discipline. So I continue to experiment with hashtags. After all, development never ends. When the response I get back mirrors what I’m trying to say, I know I’m getting closer to authentic branding. I believe if we took away all language, we would find that we are actually all saying the same thing. We collectively speak the human language - it’s the definitions and connotations of words that trip us up. If we stop trying to divide ourselves by “agreed upon” definitions, we just may see that we can understand everyone better than we thought. Singer-Songwriter Trevor Hall reflects: "We push love away. It’s so weird that we do that. It’s the only thing that we want, but still we push it away. It’s just so interesting." Word. It’s worth putting the same time and energy that goes into shaping talent, into finding your brand (aka identity). Does that mean you have to wait to figure yourself out before you start promoting? Of course not. You’re an artist - you (not an “other”) get to decide how, when, and why you promote yourself and your work. Be creative. But please don’t compromise your authentic self along the way. That sticky truth about pushing love away also applies to loving yourself. Why limit your success to someone else’s definition, when you can create your own connotation and dig deeper? The deeper and stronger your roots, the less vulnerable you are to misinterpretation, misrepresentation, and exploitation. You will probably understand me if I wish you #HappyHolidays. For anything that doesn’t make sense, please remember this: I’m just trying to find the love inside us all. If love grows in each and every artist, so it does for the Arts as an industry. And since I’ve made my home in the Arts, I, for one, would like there to be harmony. #BetheChange and #LoveYourself Emileena is writing a book on artist development called ANOTHER WAY. Join the community by attending a monthly Meetup (it's free!). Original Artwork by Dave Law, freelance visual artist and illustrator. For more, please visit www.davelawart.com. If you are an artist looking for development, consider Emileena's E-Velop program.

While most artists will agree to the value of business coaching, few want to pay for it. And the more I appreciate the plight of an artist (specifically my own), the more I recognize why: They are trepidatious about any outside influence requiring a financial exchange. (See my blog The Exploited Artist vs. the Insecure Artist.) So I get it. There are a lot of expenses to be an artist and funds are always tight. It’s why I’ve opted for writing a book about my work over pushing my coaching services. But the result of those tight purse strings is a lot of under-educated artists, losing money on short-term decisions instead of thinking about how to sustain a career. Most art programs conveniently skip over business and finance courses, and artists rarely take the time to think about long-term strategy when decision-making. While a career can certainly launch without traditional business skills, it won’t find sustainability without strategy. You know what helps with that? Professional coaching! Former Google exec Eric Schmidt says of his business coach: “How could a coach advise me if I'm the best person in the world at this? [T]hat's not what a coach does ... They have to watch you and get you to be your best ... Once I realized I could trust him and that he could help me with perspective, I decided this was a great idea.” The business community has run agog with coaching services. I’ve seen coaches in NYC cost upward of $2,000/month, even if the national average is slightly lower. For the business owners and entrepreneurs who swear by them, you get what you pay for. “No matter what stage your business is at, a coach can make you work harder and progress faster than you would on your own. From providing a much-needed ego check to helping expand your network, a business coach can give you both the tools and perspective you need to go from point A to point B.” Why wouldn’t this appeal to artists? Well, for starters, the return on investment has a much lower ceiling. Success rates in the Arts are already so minuscule that conversations around sustainability are only just beginning, whereas it’s been a hot topic amongst traditional entrepreneurs for years. Secondly, exploitation runs rampant in the Arts. Consider the Weinstein scandal, Kesha, Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson, Jean Michel Basquiat, etc. Artists are understandably more cautious about who to trust. So I knew it was an uphill battle to build programming (#ArtsMeetsBiz) for a demographic so suspicious of outside help. And if you’re shopping for a coach, you really should know what makes them qualified to guide you. Your art is precious enough, entrusting someone with your career is a whole other ballgame. Two things to know when you're looking: Development never ends. People want to see an end point, or some guarantee that they will see results in a certain time. If a coach is promising you something concrete, they just want your money. It’s a personal journey. Coaching, especially artists, feels like social work sometimes. You have to peel away layers of personal obstacles and society’s brainwashing before you can get to any of the concrete work. There is no guarantee as to how long an individual will take to process all that. You could look back and view your whole life in terms of stages of development, or what I call Sustainability Cycles (Exploration, Inclusion, Evolution). The closest thing I’d say to mastering the development process only happens when the three stages of the Sustainability Cycle are occurring concurrently. So where am I in my journey of development? Well for starters, the journey is rarely linear and time is relative. And since the possibility of every stage is in the very moment I am experiencing right now, I suppose a more direct question would be: Which stage am I focusing on right now? For example: I am always Exploring what opportunities are in my life, living in Inclusion of anything that comes my way, and I Evolve every day beyond who and where I was yesterday. I’m focusing on Evolution at the moment, trying to adjust my work constantly inside an unstable state of the Arts. I’m forging new territory however, so Exploration is ongoing. And I also struggle occasionally with incorporating the opportunities that present themselves in my life (Inclusion), especially the obstacles. In terms of Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey, a story I correlate to artist development, you could say I’ve “Returned with the Elixir” and am currently “Mastering Two Worlds:” that of the “Ordinary World,” and that of my new paradigm. “Return with the Elixir,” is a phrase that was popularized by Christopher Vogler’s interpretation of the Hero’s Journey. Joseph Campbell’s original teachings goes beyond to explain the process of becoming a “Master of Two Worlds:” "Freedom to pass back and forth across the world division, from the perspective of the apparitions of time—not contaminating the principles of the one with those of the other, yet permitting the mind to know the one by virtue of the other—is the talent of the master. The individual gives up completely all attachment to his personal limitations, idiosyncrasies, hopes and fears, no longer resists the self-annihilation that is prerequisite to rebirth in the realization of truth, and so becomes ripe, at last, for the great at-one-ment." (The American Monomyth by Robert Jewett & John Shelton Lawrence, 1977, NY: Doubleday) That is to say that I’ve journeyed into and out of the “Cave”, i.e. facing and overcoming personal demons and psychological obstacles. Even so, my struggle to stay in the moment remains constant. Every time I think I’ve conquered my innermost fears, a new one drags me back into the Cave. That’s because the story is non-linear! If I were to ever say I’ve conquered the Cave permanently, I’d be lying to you...or selling something. Ha! I believe I’ve found the “Elixir” I want to share with the world. My work is the vehicle I’ve chosen to do it: the Sustainability Cycle, my book, and a paradigm shift into a community where artists are celebrated as equals and development is a respected constant. These three gifts are really the same: a world with no need for exploitation. This is my art. Now I want to recognize that the simple desire to coach others contradicts Campbell’s hero, which is why I’m writing the book. The personalities we remember are not the ones who are trying to make a splash; it’s the ones who are staying true to their authentic selves: “[The Hero’s] personal ambitions being totally dissolved, he no longer tries to live but willingly relaxes to whatever may come to pass in him." (The American Monomyth) So while it takes a village to mount a paradigm shift, I’m starting one artist at a time. Building a better future for the Arts requires a community of artists finding their “at-one-ment.” If you’re reading this blog, you’ve already accepted Campbell’s “Call to Action,” in this case to find #AnotherWay. You can’t do it alone, none of us can. So value your coaches! Emileena is writing a book on artist development called ANOTHER WAY. Join the community by attending a monthly Meetup (it's free!). Original Artwork by Dave Law, freelance visual artist and illustrator. For more, please visit www.davelawart.com. If you are an artist looking for development, consider Emileena's E-Velop program.

Ours is a time that seems to be fermenting from the fumes of judgment, bombarding our media, politics, and entertainment. One way to break those bonds is to focus on value. Judgment is a vicious cycle of unintended consequences.  Placing judgment on something automatically creates an attachment to an implied “should.” If it’s not that, then it “should” be this. Attachments perpetuate limitation against an opposite, a “should.” The trouble with limitation is that it will always provoke disappointment and uneasy feelings for someone, somewhere. One of my artists asks me on a regular basis: “Is this wrong?” or “So that’s good?” He’s trying to navigate his development in a language he can understand, and with a history of addiction, he understandably questions his own judgement. He's also hesitant to set goals, and maybe he's right to be. Goals also create attachments that can limit possibility.  They present a box that you hope to land in. But if we’ve learned nothing else from the 21st century thus far, we’ve hopefully learned that life is unpredictable. So why limit our experience to a box when we’re living in circular times? In my work with artists in development, we create benchmarks instead. Benchmarks are basically goals without the finality attached. They allow you to measure value and identify progress. I call that a value judgment. Value judgments are a tool to measure your own feelings toward a present opportunity and the choices you make around it. It is a judgment, but not one with a limiting expectation attached. It is merely a measurement of the moment. Your worth is invaluable so value judgments are not always monetary. For some people a meal, rehearsal room for an hour, or consultation will provide quantifiable value. You get to define what value you want, need, and are worth. If you choose to work for free, what is the value that you receive from that work? Even if artists will complain about it, many do not question the concept of “working for exposure” at some point in their careers. Especially if they are young or new to an industry. Working for free is not the problem, nor is it inherently limiting. But I encourage a value judgement to be made so artists understand what exactly they are in fact receiving in the exchange. And I don’t mean a “promise.” Keep it in the moment. For all the promises made to artists working for free, how many of those have been delivered? Take your own poll and ask the artists you know. Measure your time and assign a value. Maybe there’s an average of a 50% loss on your art. Once you understand that, you can start to create benchmarks to close the gap or supplement the loss. Why not? That’s #ArtsMeetsBiz. It may take different forms in different situations, but whatever it is, make the value of the work you do, even paid work, quantifiable. You don’t have to expect it or even ask for it, but know your value when you offer it to the world. You never know when someone will ask: a patron, investor, agent, or venue. “Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.” I heard this from a clinical psychologist suggesting that if there must be a measure of value, the only sustainable scale is you. He explains: “Identify yourself not with the initial state of order (a particular way of looking at the world) … [nor with] the state of chaos when everything collapses around you, but identify yourself with the process of transformation, from order thru chaos. So the way that you confront the fact that reality is continually transforming is that you allow yourself to transform with it.” This is another way of living in the moment, the only solution I’ve found to effectively banish judgment from my life. Winnie the Pooh is a lovable embodiment of this concept. In the film Christopher Robin, Pooh plays a game called “Say What You See.” It’s as simple as that – saying aloud what is in front of you right now. By leaving behind the chaotic mindset of building attachments, Pooh is merely zooming into the moment. You can watch the scene here to see how your ego resists the moment. And it usually is ego standing in the way of you getting what you need. Or it’s a fear of success, fueled by ego. So when you’re weighing the value of every opportunity, ask the question: will it help me become a better person than I was yesterday? Only you can answer that, and it requires listening to your heart, not what society or any outside influence will tell you. Not ego. Here’s what I say to my artist in recovery: You get to define what is good and what is bad...so you tell me. This might not work with all addicts, so I don’t recommend trying it at home. I use the example of an addict in recovery because it offers an extreme example. No one, in their heart wants to be an addict. Let’s look at a case study on the drug epidemic. Most people agree drugs are limiting in the long term…including addicts themselves. But what has the value been to judge drug addiction as “bad?” Has social judgment helped prevent addiction? Overwhelming research suggests not. Consider the Pew Research Center’s findings from 2018: "As fatal overdoses rise, many Americans see drug addiction as a major problem in their community." In response to one of the worst drug epidemics in Europe, Portugal adopted an aggressive drug treatment program, decriminalizing all drugs in 2001. They attempted to remove the judgment attached to drug addiction and started revaluing what that meant in their country. In "Portugal’s radical drugs policy is working. Why hasn’t the world copied it?," Susana Ferreira explains: “Portugal’s policy rests on three pillars: one, that there’s no such thing as a soft or hard drug, only healthy and unhealthy relationships with drugs; two, that an individual’s unhealthy relationship with drugs often conceals frayed relationships with loved ones, with the world around them, and with themselves; and three, that the eradication of all drugs is an impossible goal.” Sixteen years later, statistics showed a dramatic reduction in drug addiction primarily by destigmatization. I invite you to throw out judgments and goals. Replace them with value judgments and benchmarks, placed only on the opportunities currently being presented to you. One day at a time. Emileena is writing a book on artist development called ANOTHER WAY, the Tao of Artist Development. If you are an artist looking for development, consider Emileena's E-Velop program. Original Artwork by Dave Law, freelance visual artist and illustrator. For more, please visit www.davelawart.com.

The creative process is something we all do in our daily lives, whether we recognize it or not. We collectively strive to build a better tomorrow in which to support our families, pursue our work, and enjoy our leisure activities. I consider the creative process synonymous with development, and yet there is a disconnect between the two that causes tremendous strife. Development gets a bad rap because people are always in a hurry to “arrive.” Those not in development are quick to clarify they’ve already “passed the development stage,” as if it's a limited experience.  Because why suffer the strains of development if not for the promise of some degree of success? But the creative process values the journey over productivity. And yet, business tends to reward the end product over the process. This makes the path to “success” disproportionately challenging for creatives, who thrive during development. (Which came first, The Exploited Artist vs. the Insecure Artist?) In today’s #280Characters, fail-fast, technology driven marketplace, having no quick pathway to success is a tough pill to swallow.  Especially when we’re bombarded with lessons learned, cautionary tales, and personal advice, many of which hold kernels of wisdom. And yet, for all those promises, how many people are, in fact, left behind to suffer the quiet abyss of failure?  When in reality, failure lies not in the end product, but in anything that lies beyond the process of development. Failure is merely a misdirection that cripples the creative process! And we know creativity is important to our health. There are mountains of evidence that demonstrate that value. David Eagleman is the neuroscientist, Stanford professor, and best selling author behind The Creative Brain. This body of work unravels the creative process in the brain and demonstrates its significance in our lives, to our evolution. As a young adult, I always wanted there to be a universal truth, a shared understanding that humans can subscribe to that would guarantee success. And I searched long and far for it. Through case studies of entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, unlikely success stories like Def Jam Records, famed failures like Enron, and the corrupt prosperity of companies such as Valeant Pharmaceuticals and HSBC Bank. I searched at the negotiating table with venue owners, industry titans, and trend-setters; during private pitches, inside glamorous offices, and over drinks.  And of course, I’ve listened to my fellow artists going through the trenches, some of whom came through, some who didn’t. I too have touched the highs of success and fell to the lowest depths of failure…over and over again. And even though everyone will tout the value of failure, nothing prepares you for it, or, in my experience, can sincerely help you through it.  Even if there are lots of vultures eager to sell you a cure. I now equate the development process to that of Joseph Campbell’s "Hero’s Journey."  Put into linear terms (because the story in application is not always linear), the journey concludes with a return to normalcy, armed with a newfound paradigm.  This transformation can only occur from confronting the shadow self, or fighting one’s own demons. As such, what I found instead of that universal truth I longed for, is that there are no definitive, one-stop-shop definitions for "success."  There is no finite end-goal, bottom line, or arrival. There is always another demon to conquer. #DevelopmentNeverEnds It’s a personal journey that looks different for everyone. It’s the Hero’s Journey. So instead of finding a shortcut to “success,” I would suggest we lean into the process of our own creativity. But in doing so, we must remove judgement. Which means starting with how we define art itself. According to Digital artist Scott Ligon, “Art helps you see that larger picture.”  I define “art” in two parts: Who is an artist, but someone seeking, the expression of the self in response to his/her/their environment. Then there's that age-old debate, “Is talent inborn, or can it be taught?” I’d like to suggest that talent is innate, just as Plato tells us wisdom is innate in all of us. We need only be open to the tap which lies inside, through which, art is waiting to be channeled. Talent is simply the way in which we channel our art. The way to open that tap is to be creative! Answer the call to take the Hero’s Journey; it’s a venture to find our most authentic selves.  Authenticity is the elusive “talent” we seek to express through our art.  Those words might even be interchangeable because if your channel is not authentic, or the tap not opened, any art that comes through is affected. As it turns out, authenticity is usually what’s lacking in the troubled areas of culture (e.g. exploitation, corruption, greed).  A three-year Cultural Value Project lead by the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council culminated in the Understanding the Value of Arts and Culture Report, published in 2016: "The report sheds new light on neglected areas where research shows arts and culture make a difference, such as prompting personal reflectiveness and empathy, enabling engaged citizens and thriving communities, and the imagination and creativity that underpins innovation." So art is important.  Artists are important.  Which means it’s important to embrace, mentor, and develop them.  It is indeed a hero who chooses the artistic path. Just as our identity is continually a work in process, development itself never ends. The harder we cling to ideals about our future, etc., the more elusive it becomes. We live in a fast-paced society where we can skip to the point as quickly as possible. Afterall, every story has to have an ending...right? But the end of development is a moving target because it evolves. That is why I call it The Sustainability Cycle (Exploration, Inclusion, Evolution).  If we master this, we learn there will always be a need to change and adapt. People hate this idea.  Many would rather use money, sex, and negotiation to achieve success rather than endure a grueling process of tackling fears, facing the self, and getting their hands dirty for...infinitum. “What’s the point?” I hear artists say, “Life is short and I’m getting old.” The point is sustainability and peace of mind.  The point is to not end up the way of Robin Williams, Chester Bennington, Chris Cornell, Avicii, Kate Spade, Anthony Bourdain... People may not remember the stories of celebrity suicides.  But the tragedies will continue until we learn to support creativity over productivity. I have found it very difficult to grasp that all “success” is, in fact, transient. It feels more comfortable inside the paradigm that the majority dictates for us, valuing productivity over process. But comfort, happiness, and even failure are all….impermanent.  THAT is the universal truth I was searching for. Emileena is writing a book on artist development called ANOTHER WAY. If you are an artist looking for development, consider Emileena's E-Velop program. Original Artwork by Dave Law, freelance visual artist and illustrator. For more, please visit www.davelawart.com.

Part 2: Nature Is Having a basic grasp of the dualities involved with Daoism doesn’t necessarily help you find your own Dao. And since your path is unique to you, no one can dictate that process for you. Just as Finding Your Identity is a journey, not a destination, so is living as a Daoist. But recognizing the dualities in life, as I explained in the first part of this blog, is an excellent tool. All those dualities lead to unity within the Dao. So there is also a very special oneness with nature. The natural world never stops to amaze me. I believe there is a metaphor for every life lesson, represented somehow in the natural world.  Even Michael Crichton acknowledged that “life finds a way” in Jurassic Park.  Well so does humanity. That is evolution. Let’s take one specific example from a friend of mine committed to his pursuit of identity. He found himself particularly drawn to trees that were seemingly growing out of rock or concrete.  He was noticing the phenomenon sprouting up everywhere.  He found himself pondering, "How could something living and breathing emerge out of solid, dead stone?" And yet, it is that very possibility of a lost seed found in seemingly grotesque situations that can lead to the most beautiful and meaningful growth.  The more he considered it, the more he found the juxtaposition informing his own spiritual journey. The laws of nature are reflected in each and every one of us.  All humans are made up of carbon atoms and DNA traits that we share with plants and animals.  These atoms first evolved in the Earth’s vast oceans shortly after the Big Bang, giving birth to the planet that eventually birthed us. The Big Bang erupted out of the same stuff that continues to make up our cosmos today.   “In the cosmos, nothing is wasted,” Neil DeGrasse Tyson says in the remade COSMOS series.  “From stardust to stars, from stars to stardust.  We are all made of star-stuff.” My brain is composed of the same atoms as the tribal peoples still living in forests; as every Wall Street banker drunk on his own success; priests observing the strictest ritual; misguided prostitutes...  We all are one with the universe, and we all have the capacity for love. Some connect our human experience together as consciousness, which extends to any living creature, be it a plant, single-cell organism, bacteria, or human. Consciousness can be compared to the immense oceans of our world. Each unique wave emerges from the vast expansion of the water for its moment in the sun.  It materializes for an opportunity to express itself unlike any other wave before or after it.  It emanates from and returns to the same body of water from which it came. In fact, it never really left. It rose out of, and upon, the same body of water from which its sibling waves will also do the same.  This is how humanity functions as a collective consciousness. Daoism doesn’t tell you how to live or how to be.  It is only a compass to navigate the waters when searching for your truth. Does Daoism speak to you?  What do you learn when you stop to study nature?  Take 10 minutes outside, Living in the Moment, and make the discovery of yourself, for yourself. And remember, this blog is written by a Daoist living in the concrete jungle of the big city, wearing generic high-top sneakers, loose-fitting pants on the hips, and a plain hoodie.  Still no glasses.  So if nature can speak to me, you can find it too….anywhere that "life finds a way." Emileena is writing a book on artist development called ANOTHER WAY, the Dao of Artist Development. If you are an artist looking for development, consider Emileena's E-Velop program. Original Artwork by Dave Law, freelance visual artist and illustrator. www.davelawart.com.