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Part 1: The Great Duality Daoism shapes my work with artists so much that I’ve always found it disappointing that Buddhism is the more popular eastern philosophy in America. That's probably because the definition of Daoism is blurry at best, defined only through personal translation.  It's why I couldn’t write this blog without first exploring identity.  If Finding Identity is a life-long journey, Daoism is merely a compass. I re-connected with Daoism after a transformative visit to Peru, just by recalling some vague teachings from a religion class in college.  I started speaking and living it before I could even put a label on it. The ambiguity around Daoism sprouts out of its inconclusive origins.  Lao Tzu is only the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching because the original writings cannot be traced to any single person.  All we know conclusively is that it emerged around the 4th century BCE, in part, as a rebellion to the rigid, explicitly defined structure of Confucianism. Even the spelling is left to interpretation.  The Chinese language is written in characters with no literal translation of ‘T’ or ‘D.’  I’ve always written it with a D because that is how I pronounce it.  If you really want to geek out you can read about a perceived nuance between Daoism Vs. Taoism. One day post-Peru I found myself at a hipster Art party….I mean, you look up the definition of hipster and you’ll find a picture of this house in Brooklyn, with abstract artists wearing TOMS, thick glasses, and wild clothing. Amongst a bunch of abstract artists, I overheard a discussion around Daoism.  It was a debate between an American who had studied Daoism in China and a native Chinese girl recently acclimated to America.  She wasn't sold on some of the Daoist practices. This was the first time I was hearing about these exercises, but I jumped right in, making an argument on behalf of the Daoist tradition.  (This was very ballsy for someone wearing generic high-top sneakers, loose-fitting pants on my hips, and a plain hoodie.  I didn’t even have glasses on!) The American asked me my perspective on a specific interpretation of the Tao Te Ching.  I had never heard of this interpretation.  I explained that I identified with Daoism, but was not studied on it.  He was surprised because of my deep understanding of the philosophy.  But I could sense his disappointment that I couldn’t partake in an intellectual dialog around Daoism’s history.  He was a hipster after all… But that is what I love about Daoism - it is accessible to everyone, no matter who you are, what your experience is, or how much education you’ve had.  The fact that I could understand and embody Daoism like I do, having never formally studied it, is incredibly refreshing to me! And ultimately, our human connection far outweighs any cultural threads we share anyway.  This hipster helped me realize (by engaging in The Mirror Effect) that I am a living demonstration of what Daoism represents. So in preparation for this blog I searched for other Daoists in NYC.  All I found was some tantric Meetup groups and a couple Taoist temples.  One had a Yelp review from a tourist: “I walked into the temple just out of curiosity … I was pretty much invisible and no one even glanced my way.  I walked around a bit… I must admit I don't know much about the Taoist belief… I still have no clue after my visit...” Daoists aren't very social apparently.  It’s not like Christianity which will dictate how to live your life down to every detail, including who you sleep with. You get to decide your relationship with Daoism and how you receive its teachings. What attracts me is how the philosophy personalizes around the individual...on a universal level.  It’s easier to talk around it than to explain outright.  Benjamin Hoff writes in The Tao of Pooh: "A basic principle of Lao-tse's [sic] teaching was that this Way of the Universe could not be adequately described in words, and that it would be insulting both to its unlimited power and to the intelligent human mind to attempt to do so. Still, its nature could be understood, and those who cared the most about it, and the life from which it was inseparable, understood it best." Following the Dao, or the "Way” means tapping into your own truth.  Daoism recognizes that every belief, every reality, can actually co-exist in harmony, together in the Dao. How can that be, you ask, how can left and right both be straight?  Because they simply are.  That is Daoism in a nutshell! This duality proliferates in the Tao Te Ching.  The classic text could be summarized as a series of extreme statements laid side by side.  If you meditate on these extremes or study them closely, you will find the middle. It helps to release judgment because that delineator causes more grief than it does understanding. It is only our egos, not a universal truth, assigning right or wrong and those judgments are only further dividing our species.  There only is. Have you ever noticed that you hate most the people that are connected to things you love? If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t hate. You might hate the president because he threatens things you love. It’s because both emotions are actually the same.  And they are both within the Dao. We are also all the same, even as we subscribe to different religions and follow different paths.  We are all in search of meaning for our lives, for identity.  This is what unites us. So if I am a real-life example of Daoism in practice, it is only because I am a representation of everyone else.  And everyone else represents me.  The Dalai Lama himself recently tweeted: “The many factors which divide us are actually much more superficial than those we share.” I call this Inclusion, the second step of The Sustainability Cycle. My Daoist leanings have led me to the segment of society that is often trapped between dualities.  Most people will appreciate the Arts are an invaluable and evolutionary propellant of humanity...and yet, we find artists in the most impoverished conditions, on the outskirts of everyday business.  We are bombarded by messaging that tells us to suppress our artistic selves.  “What’s your real job?” Exploited artists are navigating life with a compass forged from deception, greed, and ego.  The result of which looks something like addiction, depression, and/or delinquency.  Just because the artistic brain is often misunderstood, (e.g. Lady Gaga’s meat dress), doesn’t mean it should be treated differently.  People just are. Today’s socio-economic and cultural environment is increasingly calling for a common middle ground, where #ArtsMeetsBiz. On the individual level, this all boils down to identity...the journey, not the destination. Look to the Dao to ground you in the “middle.” I consider that Living in the Moment…where Time is Relative. The moment, in between a past that no longer exists and a future that is unknown. Continue to Part 2: Nature Is. 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.

When I was forming my identity, I looked up to my sister and “crazy aunt Sally” because they always spoke their truth.  I admired strong female protagonists who were free spirits, and later female singer/songwriters who put melodies to my emotions.  I discovered a shared artistic sensibility with directors, actors, and visual artists. I knew very little about most of these people, but the stories they created for me helped shape who I am today.  Who are the role models shaping our future now? Harry Potter, Frodo, Morpheus from the Matrix.  Malala, Caitlyn Jenner, Obama.  Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Russell Brand.  The images and ideologies around these figures serve an important role in our society.  They are archetypes. Their stories make up myths that define our culture.  And myths are how societies dictate their place in history.  They are meant to be a guide to help navigate the social environment. No one understood this better than Carl Jung. American mythologist Joseph Campbell popularized Jung’s ideas in "The Hero’s Journey."  He said, “The first function of mythology is showing everything as a metaphor to transcendence.”  Campbell’s protege Phil Cousineau explains: “The journey of the hero is about the eternal cycle of change within us; the uncanny discovery that the seeker is the mystery which the seeker seeks to know. The hero journey is a symbol that binds, in the original sense of the word, two distant ideas, the spiritual quest of the ancients with the modern search for identity.” This suggests that the search for identity is an inner journey that works its way out, in contrast to external forces (e.g. media/corporations/government) that tend to shape individuals from the outside in.  Which would you prefer: finding your own voice or conforming to popular culture? But what happens if you don’t recognize your inner voice or speak its language? What if you don't know how to define it? Consider "starving" artists.  Some might be battling depression because they are juggling a “day job.”  Some might be scraping by to survive on their art alone.  Some might be addicts or just simply misunderstood (not only by others, but by themselves). Many of these people grew up being told everything they did was wrong or not important. They discovered on their own that the dominating authority always has the last say, the best deal, and all the control.  That sounds like something to strive for if your whole life has been on the short end of the stick. Social psychologist Henri Tajfel’s 1979 study proposed that groups are “an important source of pride and self-esteem.  Groups give us a sense of social identity: a sense of belonging to the social world.” But just as our society is regularly changing and evolving, so too is our identity a moving target.  This is why it is a great tragedy of our culture that we are taught to value finish lines, bottom lines, and end-goals at the expense of all else.  Corporations will look the other way if you exceed expectations that fuel growth. We’re told to get to the point and get to it fast, or we be voted off the island.  You certainly won’t get any funding on Shark Tank if you don't draw a bottom line.  You only have 2 minutes to impress the judges on America’s Got Talent or they won’t even turn around to look at you.  And in those 2 minutes you have to somehow express your identity... But if “Who am I” is a life-long search, how can anyone fit themselves into these molds?  It seems fraudulent, or at the very least, inauthentic.  And obliging this dictate of society comes with strings attached. Conforming to social pressure compromises our own integrity.  Once assigned a social group, it excludes all else. Tajfel’s study concluded with Social Identity Theory, which explains the slippery slope from “belonging” to “prejudice”: “We see the group to which we belong (the in-group) as being different from the others (the out-group), and members of the same group as being more similar than they [in fact] are. Social categorization is one explanation for prejudice attitudes (i.e. “them” and “us” mentality).” Further studies have proven that people become blind to the truth if it contradicts their beliefs.  The Atlantic’s Julie Beck analyzed why people believe “fake news” in This Article Won’t Change Your Mind: “[I]f the thing you might be wrong about is a belief that’s deeply tied to your identity or worldview—[your] guru is accused of terrible things, the cigarettes you’re addicted to can kill you—well, then people [will do] all the mental gymnastics it takes to remain convinced that they’re right.” Survivalist Ed Stafford found his identity by tuning everyone else out.  He experienced the ‘enormity’ of social isolation while living alone in the Amazon for 2½ years, including 60 days on a remote island.  In an interview on Russell Brand’s podcast Under the Skin, Stafford said people tend to define their lives by how their behavior, ideas, and actions “bounce off other people.” While in isolation there were no reactions from which to bounce his thoughts off, no one to judge him or from whom he could measure himself against.  All he could do was bounce definitions off the only person who was present: his authentic self. That’s an awesome way to find your inner voice.  But disappearing into isolation for 60 days is an extreme route, and certainly not sustainable. A more realistic path to defining “Who am I?” is to surround yourself by authentic, honest, and good people.  The archetypal stories found in art also serve this purpose. These stories have never been more important than right now when there seems to be a disconnect between our socio-political realities and our personal lives.  The current social discourse around identity is based on dichotomies: gender, race, sexual orientation, #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, and even #GunControl.  And yet the messaging behind every movement is asking for unity and freedom for all. This disconnect makes finding your inner voice confusing.  If the predominant authority, let's say media, is reflecting a warped version of reality, life becomes awkward and uncomfortable.  Sound familiar? We're currently at the crossroads of a cultural revolution when artistic representations of myths and role models are needed most.  Wesley Morris paints the backdrop nicely in his New York Times 2015 article The Year We Obsessed Over Identity: "And where are we?  On one hand: in [a melodramatic slapstick movie].  On the other: in the midst of a great cultural identity migration.  Gender roles are merging.  Races are being shed.  In the last six years or so we’ve been made to see how trans and bi and poly-ambi-omni- we are. This is a country founded on independence and yet comfortable with racial domination, a country that has forever been trying to legislate the lines between whiteness and nonwhiteness, between borrowing and genocidal theft.  We’ve wanted to think we’re better than a history we can’t seem to stop repeating." And yet, even as we are doomed to repeat the past, life is evolving.  National Geographic’s April 2018 special edition, “The Race Issue,” suggests These Twins, One Black and One White, Will Make You Rethink Race: “[W]hen the twins are asked about their differences, they mention something else entirely. [They] say ‘People are made how they are.’” Let our current realities be merely a frame for the world we create.  We are not only defining ourselves, we are defining our place in history; the myths for future generations to define themselves against. As new role models are coming forward every day, we must remember the lessons from previous cultural revolutions: the Great Depression, Woman’s Suffrage, Civil Rights Movement, the hippie rebellion, Wikileaks, and even Colin Kaepernick.  The people who fought the social barriers of their times were speaking their truths at that moment. Most of us understand that it takes great risk to speak up, especially considering the dangers of Social Identity Theory.  Proceeding in the face of risk is what makes those situations and leaders pivotal to future generations.  Their stories carve #AnotherWay for people to see themselves from an authentic perspective instead of an institutional dictum. Not everyone has a “crazy aunt Sally,” or any positive role model in their life at all.  But we can still find transcendence by using the Mirror Effect with personal relationships and archetypes.  “Who Am I” is a journey, not a destination. 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.

I heard a yogi deliver a message on New Years Day, which has truly stuck with me.  He insisted that ‘time is relative’ and we need only to adjust our brains around that concept to liberate ourselves from the stressors of life. “Really?!” l thought.  Surely that’s only science fiction.  Time couldn’t be relative because we live in a linear world and share linear experiences.  Business leaders, governments, and employers all subscribe to linear time! But this was a yogi after-all, so his intentions must be altruistic, right?  And if time is relative, life would be so much easier...  So I took on the challenge of trying to wrap my brain around this intriguing idea. Collective agreement, in this case around linear time, doesn’t make it fact.  There used to be a collective agreement that the world was flat!  So why can’t we bend the ‘boundaries’ of time? Once I accepted that possibility, I was soon pondering what it would look like if the structures of reality itself could fluctuate... Well for starters, throw deadlines out the window!  What's the point of measuring your life by a tool that is in itself a limitation? Let’s break that down: How can you possibly achieve your goals by throwing out deadlines?  What does it mean, why does it matter, how do you do it? It took me a full year to grapple with these questions.  For someone who takes commitment, deadlines, and timelines very serious, the 'time-is-relative' concept has been hard to actualize.  And honestly, my work ethic has served me well for the most part (ask anyone who came through the international theater festival I managed during my 7-year tenure). But that is also why I have found it life-shatteringly difficult to process the times it hasn’t served me.  What’s the value of work ethic during the misfortunate times? Those times when I was betrayed, judged on a misunderstanding, or worst of all, failed due to discrimination or some other stupid circumstance completely out of my control. And really, that’s the point: it’s ALL out of my control.  Especially when others, less married to commitment, deadlines, and timelines will shoot up the entrepreneurial ladder quicker than you can blink.  How many douchebags do you know who have found success?  People lie, cheat, and exploit their way to the top all the time: e.g. William Randolph Hearst, Bernie Madoff, Jeffrey Skilling, and Trump. The value of work ethic is a personal achievement, not for the measurement of others. If it doesn’t fulfill your purpose, your vision, and/or your own definition of well being with compassion, let it go. Will the world stop if that deadline is missed?  There might be consequences, but only you can define the value of those consequences in your life. Besides, life might not turn out how you planned even if you make that deadline! Just ask the Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and even the Millennials.  (See my last blog The Future is Unstable so Live in the Moment.) And somewhere amidst all that is a path to following our dreams. So what’s the easiest way to accomplish all this without all the stress and worry?  Take away the deadlines and timelines attached to your biggest aspirations. I know, I know, we’re all going to die so the clock really is ticking…  But that is linear thinking!  And it puts a giant wrench into your Sustainability Cycle by curtailing creativity. Living outside of the linear is incredibly liberating because it’s living inside the moment.  And the moment changes, moment to moment!  To quote the Merlin principle taught to emerging business leaders: Leaders who use the Merlin Factor, identifying themselves with a particular visionary future, must likewise act on behalf of that future in the circumstances of the present. A recent trend in the workplace supports an alternative approach to employee time-management.  MetLife’s Douglas Choo says in the 14th Annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study: "We're hearing more and more from HR managers about the importance of work-life balance among the workforce. But it's much more like a work-life blend." And if trends in the marketplace aren’t convincing, look no further than science! Studies, specifically in physics, are increasingly revealing that correlations between time and space demonstrate relativity. Theoretical physicist Brian Greene explains "I might not be moving through space, but I am [always] moving through time." You can even learn in Under 3 Minutes how time is not absolute. Add to this, String Theory, which has given gateway to the possibility of up to 10 dimensions in our universe.  We're familiar with the 3-dimensional, but this theory suggests another 7 dimensions might include alternative realities of time: Beyond these three lie the seven dimensions which are not immediately apparent to us, but which can still be perceived as having a direct effect on the universe and reality as we know it.  Scientists believe that the fourth dimension is time, which governs the properties of all known matter at any given point. This is only the beginning in proving that the same theories that govern our universe, also dictate our realities.  If these are proven it will become common knowledge that time is malleable. Which means time can adapt…to you and your authentic journey. What a liberating (and scary) concept!  That we can indeed build, in essence, create, our own reality….that’s a lot of power.  How does one comprehend that, especially with the complexities artists face around fear of success? The offer is bigger to digest than the words imply. And it requires alignment with your authentic self. In PARTICLE FEVER, a theorist explains “In exploration there needs to be the set of people who have no rules, and they are going into the frontier.”  This is the mindset driving artists as well!  Creativity and the Arts are essential to evolution, as I discussed in Exploring the Exploited Artist and Mathew Heggem demonstrates in The Arts: A Strategy for Economic Growth. I still appreciate deadlines and timelines, I’ve just had a healthy separation from them -- a no-fault divorce.  I use them as a flexible guide, not a concrete structure that will shatter if compromised.  But measurements of time will always adapt and evolve with me – they are only benchmarks. If everything in life is getting in the way of your goals, maybe it’s time to change your tactics, sans judgement.  Abolish that fixed, linear thinking!  Instead, free yourself to define your own authentic progress.  That’s #sustainability! So it turns out...the yogi was right.  Understanding time as relative is complete and utter freedom.  Freedom: that beautiful little word that holds so much personal meaning.  For me, freedom now means living inside the moment, where time is relative. 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.

I like planning.  My background is in producing, managing, and event curation so I like to strategically plan out my schedule to achieve the most productivity as efficiently as possible.  For the most part, this serves me well. Until it doesn't.  To quote Outkast, "You can plan a pretty picnic, but you can't predict the weather."  And it seems like more and more the weather falls out of favor with my meticulously organized plans.  But as disappointing as this is, every time it happens, I find it a good reminder to live in the moment. Lao Tzu, reputed author of the Tao Te Ching, wrote: “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”  Cherishing Taoism as I do, I believe there is a metaphor in nature for every important life lesson that can be learned; we need only slow down long enough to steal a glimpse of it. Slow down and live in the moment. What happens in the moment is a release of all the burdens society, religion, and culture has taught us.  It doesn’t matter which one comes first, the release or the moment - they are the same. These burdens are programmed into us at an early age: we should be planning for the future; we should be married; we should own a home; we should be working toward and/or living the American Dream, white picket fence, family, 2 cars, and a 9-5 job with nights and weekends free.  Well, that all sounds great...for those who can achieve that.  But what about the rest of us? Consider the current trends of married couples living apart, millennials still living with mom and dad, and home ownership on the decline.  Not to mention the Baby Boomers’ retirement crisis.  This all points to the uncertainty of the future, making it impossible to plan for.  Paul B. Brown writes in "How To Plan Your Life When You Can’t Plan Your Life" (Forbes): “The way we were taught to think and act works well when the future is predictable, but not so much in the world as it is now.” With nowhere else to reliably look, you’ve found yourself in the bosom of the moment.  This is actually the consensus in response to these trends.  Leo Babauta suggests in "Planning Your Future Is Pointless. The How And Why Of Embracing Uncertainty" (Fast Company): “Prepare yourself by learning about your mind, becoming trustworthy, building things, overcoming procrastination, getting good at discomfort and uncertainty.” How do you do that?! “Focus on what you can do right now that will be good no matter what the future brings. Make stuff. Build stuff. Learn skills. Go on adventures. Make friends. These things will help in any future.” I’m pretty sure Babauta just said: Live in the moment!  This should come as a relief since it gives permission to explore your most authentic self before making life-long decisions.  It’s contrary to the traditional push to start planning your future in high school.  “The jobs of working at Google, Amazon or Twitter, for example, didn’t exist when I was a teenager,”  Babauta says. This means defining your work by defining yourself first. And do that at your own pace instead of letting your work define you.  This point of view basically hands you time itself.  Starting with Step 1 in The Sustainability Cycle: Exploration in pursuit of defining your own Vision/Mission/Values.  Brown writes: “Instead of picturing/thinking about what the perfect job or career would be and working backwards from there, begin with a direction, based on a real desire, in which you think you want to go.” The shortest path to finding your Vision/Mission/Values, or “Discovering your WHY,” is to live in the moment.  That means focusing in on what is present in your life (not what’s missing) and start noticing the opportunity and possibility that is right in front of you. The Science of Character is a lovely 8-minute film demonstrating how to change your mindset around character.  “Instead of just focusing on all the things that can go wrong with us, it's also important to celebrate all the things that can go right.”  #AnotherWay This is where I always lose focus when my best-laid plans go awry. I stay too long with the upset of unscheduled happenings that everything I do accomplish gets discounted. A simple shift in mindset reveals that I usually touch on my objectives, even if it doesn’t look like what I map out. Sometimes it's less than I wanted but it turns out that it's always enough for that moment. Every time I think I've learned that lesson, I have to re-learn it. #DevelopmentNeverEnds I've also found that the more positive I keep my mindset, the better life gets! Living in the moment is in sharp contrast to the perpetual self-fulfilling prophecies I've subconsciously set for myself in the past. And it feels good! Life might not end up looking like what you spent so much time convincing yourself you want.  So if there is no fail-safe way to secure your future, why not enjoy the moment we have right now?  It certainly cuts down on stress and worry (both useless emotions). When I slow down and release my attachment to pre-arranged plans, I find quality time, better spent.  I’m grateful when I don’t truncate the moment in exchange for a plan or schedule.  There are hidden opportunities within every moment! Emileena is writing a book called ANOTHER WAY, the Dao of Artist Development. Original Artwork by Dave Law, freelance visual artist and illustrator. www.davelawart.com. If you are an artist looking for development, consider Emileena's E-Velop program.

One of the biggest roadblocks to sustaining a creative career is fear. And American culture is running wild with it these days. It's hard not to long for the days of simpler times... Ignorance is bliss, right? If ignorance is not bliss, it certainly lends itself to blind confidence, which is extremely helpful in the pursuit of an entrepreneur...or anything that goes against the grains of the norm (such as art).  With a deeper understanding and more knowledge comes more fear: fear of possibility, probability, the unknown (i.e. knowing there is an unknown!). And yet, we can not remain innocent forever, especially in the age of the internet. Nor should we.  Fear holds value and when we learn to measure that value, we can open previously obstructed doors to opportunity. As I demonstrated in The Mirror Effect, every moment is a choice between fear and love.  Why is it easier to fall back on fear than to move forward with love?  Author and fellow blogger Eric Barker described negative thinking like this: Thousands and thousands of years ago, Caveman #1 thought a snake was a stick, got bitten, died and didn’t reproduce. Caveman #2, who walked around petrified that every stick was a snake, had lots of kids and now we’re stuck with brains that create problems even when there aren’t any. To further evolution, learned behavior like this must be held in juxtaposition with the entrepreneurial spirit, or measured risk-taking.  It is this beautiful balance that gives meaning to our choices. By recognizing that sometimes our subconscious chooses fear for us, we can start to deconstruct those fears and address them with love.  This process recalls the Sustainability Cycle (Exploration, Inclusion, & Evolution) and is an effective way to live your life, but it's especially useful for a career so marginalized as that of the artist. Although we certainly see successful artists, sustainable careers are few and far between, e.g. Aerosmith, Ron Howard, Tyra Banks, etc.  In the interest of equalizing the playing field let’s focus on why the many fall behind the few. Everyone has an X factor: that unique combination of talent, personality, thinking patterns, learned behavior, and belief systems that make a person who they are.  Sometimes your X works for you, maybe even granting privileges.  Sometimes it’s against you, especially if you’re met with systematic discrimination, exclusion, and/or inequality. Just because one person’s X does not grant the same advantages as another’s does not mean it isn’t beneficial.  In fact, it is precisely your X that is your greatest asset!  Allowing it to be defined by another can muddy the path to sustainability.  Your X factor, or unique self, is found by practicing authenticity. And really, the only way to reach your fullest potential is to face your fears.  If you have not met the same "success" as the artists you admire most, then it is up to you to find #AnotherWay.  Proceeding in the face of the unknown...is to conquer fear. Centuries ago it was popular opinion that the world was flat.  Fear prevented people from venturing out to test that theory, fear of falling off the Earth!  Explorers proceeded against those fears and discovered the world as we know it today (round).  They, along with the help of scientists driven to prove the unknowable, found a balance between fear and the entrepreneurial spirit. The world, and the people in it, evolved. There is also a fear of change at work here.  Challenging the status quo threatens to overturn the complex structure of society.  Artists often find themselves within an exploitive system that values the whole by suppressing the individual.  In How to Think Like an Entrepreneur, Philip Delves Broughton writes: Bringing change to an established market, introducing a novel political idea, adopting a new creative technique or changing the expectations of an audience can require a degree of force. ... [This] can make entrepreneurs easy targets for criticism.  Until, of course, they are proved correct, and suddenly they are glorious rebels, the heroes of our capitalist age. If popular opinion was never challenged we would still believe the world to be flat.  Culture would remain static.  So change is actually a good thing when we're not participating in systematized oppression through traditional hierarchical models. Fear of change is also what holds back Arts education.  The current system that marginalizes the Arts is broken. It's the devil our society knows...that doesn’t mean it’s better.  Once upon a time the Greeks, Mayans, and even Egyptians valued art as an essential component of the human condition, integrating it into their social structures. And yet today, the Arts are viewed through a fearful lens because they have been cast out of our most important institutions: government and "big" business (a.k.a. the corporation).  The Arts are where the outrageous comes from: controversial music videos, risqué fashion design, gender-bending dance performance, and thought-provoking theatre. Even so, I like to point out the hypocrisy of politics, which has perhaps topped the outrageous scale in recent years. When the stigma, insecurity, and fear that holds us down is released, we can see clearer. This applies not only to the individual, but to society as a whole. A quick run-down of other fears that artists face (all of which deserve their own blogs): Fear of hard work/growing up: This is only a fear when “hard work/growing up” means compromising your passion.  Change the definition by recognizing those fears and replacing it with #AnotherWay. Fear of money: This is found in both artists and businesses.  Artists are afraid to ask for money and businesses are afraid to allocate livable fees to artists.  But there is always #AnotherWay if both sides are open, authentic, and commit to common ground. Fear of criticism: Sometimes you hit and score, sometimes you strike out.  But if you don’t keep stepping up to bat, you’ll be out of the game. In a vivid meditation I once saw an anthropomorphized wrecking ball, complete with face and arms, in direct combat with...me!  It was injured from trying to clear out my negativity and fear. Every time it came in for a swing I pushed back hard - we were both bloody and exhausted.  I realized in that moment that fear is the poison that prohibits growth.  It was scary to let go, but when I let it finally demolish my fear, I felt open and free.  (Disclaimer: This is an ongoing process that never ends! That is why we strive for balance.) So maybe it’s time to start appreciating the artistic value you have instead of fearing what it will do for you.  Bring your X-factor alive and start opening those doors to sustainability! Emileena is writing a book on artist development called ANOTHER WAY. 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.

One of the biggest differences I’ve observed between the Arts and business is the continued audacity of the business mindset.  While art sends shockwaves through our culture now and again (e..g. Lady Gaga’s meat suit; Little Nas X, anything Banksy), big business has not only penetrated our government, it controls much of our personal lives (e.g. banking, employment, even our non-profits!). Business has systematized its sustainability while the Arts are just starting to define what that means. If you're creative-minded, you might be familiar with the feeling of getting left behind. Never mind all the moaning and groaning about it, here comes the Sustainability Cycle to save the day! The Sustainability Cycle is the three stages in the development journey of an artist, or in cultivating creative expression: Exploration, Inclusion, Evolution. Each stage also corresponds with an Act in Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey. Exploration is the discovery process of identifying conflict; Inclusion allows for mutual respect of the opposite duality, prohibiting judgement and opening doors to opportunity; Evolution allows for every knowable thing to change indefinitely, while always holding space for the unknowable.  This completes a circle that never ends. Sustainability is achieved when all three stages happen concurrently in every moment. But no one can master the Sustainability Cycle without understanding how authenticity alters their perception.  To demonstrate, we’re going to create something out of nothing!  How do you do that?  Well...define something...then define nothing. Beauty is, after all, in the eye of the beholder right?  I’m talking about how perception shapes reality. That might sound like marketing.  After all, you can sell even the dullest product by attaching sexy messaging to it.  Throw some avocado into a rat’s mouth and CNN reports a celebrity hipster rat!  But the only way to combat a materialistic, exploitative culture is by employing the antithesis: authenticity. Perception changes when we see the unthinkable happen.  Remember when Apple commercials told us we would one day have phones that would fit into our pockets?  Inconceivable!  A black man for president? Never! Advertising hacking our personal information? It can't be. And even now we forget the impossible is happening every day via AI, VR, AR...OMG. LOL. Exploration The purpose of this stage is to identify the conflict that is causing discomfort. Let's start with an honest examination of goals.  Whose demands are you prioritizing and why? Are you seeking enrichment or approval?  The difference between the two will foreshadow your sustainability: either you have something, or you are applying marketing techniques to nothing. After all, where do you want to meet people - in their reality or yours?  Are you only trying to fulfill someone else’s expectations or are you serving your true self?  The answer is less cut and dry than it sounds.  Consider those who populate the outskirts of the mainstream (oftentimes artists!).  It can be an attractive idea to please the people who have the power to help you escape the fringe. Even if catering to those who promise success is a survival technique, that assessment is based on perception...it doesn’t make it a static truth. When you base your perceptions on someone else’s reality (i.e. seeking approval from the mainstream), you compromise your own enrichment.  You are the only one who can offer a perfect record of approval for yourself.  So why not stay true to your authentic self first? Inclusion. The purpose of this stage is to bounce off the other side of the conflict that was identified in the Exploration stage. Duality is best served when both sides are used to find balance. If you switched your perception from one side to the other, would your nothing become something? Or vice versa? What sometimes happens in this stage is that judgement clouds opportunity. For example, the janitor at the record label may be the one fan that launches a career. But judgement places limitations, and the bounce in this stage only works if there is mutual respect for all people, places, and situations that are present. Inclusion is about giving equal weight to the opposite of whatever was identified in the Exploration stage. Forget what people have told you or trends in the industry - if you are not open to the unthinkable, you won’t recognize the opportunity to make nothing into something.  When decision-making is driven by the desire for approval, it closes the door to possibility. Making your authenticity priority attracts those with similar interests.  If your perception does not reflect a reality you believe in, how will you convince others?  For example, you tell people you’re a success but you don’t believe it.  If you are trying to manipulate how people see you instead of presenting your authentic self, you are closed to the reality of success without compromise.  That’s because people won’t see the possibility if you don’t demonstrate it!  (See my blog about The Mirror Effect.) That doesn’t eliminate the need to wade through the bullshit of people who promise their intentions are in alignment with yours.  But that is a judgement! Maybe they are not in alignment, but what DO they have that can help you? If they are present in your life, there is an opportunity there. Bounce off with an open mind and see what you find. Evolution. The purpose of this stage is to find gratitude in wherever and however you are, in the present moment. In my work, more often than not, we can find a reimagined version of what the artist has identified in the Exploration stage that is already happening, just by shifting perspective. Now that's really something! People change and staying authentic means recognizing that change and allowing unforeseen circumstances (a.k.a possibility) to uproot your plans and take on a completely different direction.  After working so hard in pursuit of a goal, the idea of the finish line moving or changing course can be heartbreaking.  But that is evolution and if we don’t pay attention we sabotage our own success. This what big business has mastered. They don't stop to question, they adapt, fast. Change is scary.  But change is what made your nothing into something, and will continue to do so….repeating Exploration, Inclusion, and Evolution over and over again. 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 looking for development, consider Emileena's E-Velop program.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who will succeed and who will fall?  If you’re looking for the answer in a mirror…you will probably come closer to the truth than you realize. Mirror neurons discovered in the brains of monkeys helped scientists prove behavior is mirrored.  Studies focused on the same systems in humans are hoping to demonstrate that the reactions we perceive in others may influence the way we feel ourselves. Theory of the Mind suggests that our conscious intentions shape our experiences.  That’s a good reason to clarify your vision, mission, and values sooner than later! It’s also a good reason to surround yourself with people who have already succeeded in the environment you want for yourself, and who demonstrate the attitudes and habits you aspire to.  People naturally act as mirrors that reflect back images of you.  So, in a sense, you can choose what you see by managing what you send out.  But you are also a mirror, and there is room for interpretation on both sides.  This is the Mirror Effect in a nutshell. Implementation of this requires an open mind and open ears because mirrors are everywhere.  By rejecting or judging scenarios you don’t immediately appreciate, you are losing an opportunity.  The business community devised the Merlin Principle to address this phenomenon as it relates to corporate leadership: Leaders who use the Merlin Factor, identifying themselves with a particular visionary future, must likewise act on behalf of that future in the circumstances of the present. The basic concept as it relates to this blog, is that possibility crosses your path every day. It is up to you to steer it in the direction you want.  Inside every moment is an opportunity and you have a choice to meet it with fear or love.  You have the power to transform.  And when each moment is serving your overarching vision (and purpose), you are in essence living that vision in every moment. Opportunities, like reflections, go both ways.  Others must be elevated so that they can elevate you.  And because not every shot is a bullseye, thousands of people must be engaged, and tomorrow, a thousand more.  It’s a push and pull, give and take; a journey of discovery that if played with vigilance leads to sustainability. It's also an exercise of living in the present and trusting your larger vision will be realized.  The only catch is that your vision might not turn out how you originally imagined.  It will evolve and the challenge is letting yourself evolve with it. The Lean Startup model promotes learning from your target market (or mirrors in this case) and adapting as you evolve your business, art, and/or self.  That involves asking questions and remaining open to the answers, even if they are uncomfortable. Whether you’re ready to turn your art into a business or not, these basic principles apply.  Of course, the challenge for artists is to not compromise themselves with exploitation hidden within the system.  (See my last blog for a discussion around: Does Art have to come from adversity?) Addiction, something artists are particularly vulnerable to, distorts the Mirror Effect (like funhouse mirrors).  Addicts are lured by the promise of an escape from harsh realities.  Drawn in by a hopeful agreement, the substance itself soon becomes a mirror that reflects a life without consequence, serenity at any expense. But the addiction mirror only shows an illusion...one that dissolves with every “come down.”  And solitude, destitution, and misery are the enemies of sustainability. However, for every moment you think you’ve made the right choice...there is always another moment to choose again.  I find Russell Brand’s work around recovery particularly thoughtful, but he sums it up nicely in this 1:27 min sound bite. (I recommend watching whether the subject of addiction is close to you or not.) Life is full of moments, choices, and opportunities.  Waiting just beside every mirror you’ve brought into your life is the chance to choose #AnotherWay.  It is important to counter reflected images with your authentic self.  You are 50% of that mirror and it must remain equal at all times. I was designing a logo with a close friend and although we both understood exactly what we wanted to convey, we came to a standstill.  She was trying to give me what I was asking for and I wanted her perspective - we were deeply engaged in the Mirror Effect, but stuck. Almost as soon as we decided to take a break she returned with the perfect logo - exactly what we both wanted.  She said she had been trying so hard to deliver on my opinions that she stopped trusting her own voice.  Once she allowed herself back into the work, she produced a masterpiece. Using others as mirrors is not a cop-out for reality.  And although you are indeed a work of art, the Mirror Effect is not a way to create yourself.  It is a way to find yourself.  When you are reflecting your most authentic self, your art will naturally become sustainable. It's a Hero's Journey, but the good news is that you don’t have to do it in a vacuum.  The people around you, wherever, whenever, are all guiding you on your journey.  It’s up to you how you receive their reflections. To quote perhaps the most famous source of parables, allegories, and myths: For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known. When human beings recognize their fullest potential, such empowerment is a reflection of, and therefore equal to, whatever higher power there is.  Imago Dei 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.

The Arts should be re-evaluating itself as an industry as often as we vote for our politicians. That can only happen by analyzing the market psychologically, sociologically, and philosophically. So let's start that process now. The Arts market is rife with basic "truths" people tend to accept...for no logical reason other than “it’s just the way it is.” But the dialog around making the Arts sustainable can not move forward without breaking down one particularly troubling assumption: Artists tend to get exploited. Why? 1. Art Comes From Adversity. Adversity haunts artists because they tend to populate the fringes of the mainstream. When an artist becomes a star, we expect a backstory that originates from the bottom rungs of society. Or at the very least, someone who slaved away at their craft, broke, for years before being “discovered.” It appears that much of great art is in fact found in juxtaposition to the social contract of convention. Those deep waters are stomping grounds for exploitation...partly because any deviation from the norm lends itself to insecurity. So which came first, the exploited artist or the insecure one? But let’s address for a moment some exceptions: Taylor Swift, Bonnie Raitt, and Miles Davis, none of whom had troubled pasts and are undoubtedly talented artists, whether you like them or not. There are other examples across the Arts. Some were born into money or had access to privilege from pre-existing connections. Some were simply in the right place at the right time or knew the right people. But I think there are two important points to be made when addressing the exceptions of the “Art comes from Adversity” assumption: Define adversity. To quote Bob Dylan’s One Man’s Loss: “One man's loss always is another man's gain. / Yes, one man's joy always is another man's pain.” The point being, if you feel suffering, it is...suffering. Adversity manifests itself divergently on the personal level. Losing your first love can lead to suffering! I always thought all those songs about drugs could just have easily been written about love. Addiction, withdrawal, abuse, hunger, these come in different packages that can not be neatly tied up with a one pink bow labeled “Adversity.” Exceptions exist to every rule. Chaos Theory recognizes that there is an unexplainable force (dark matter) that holds together the fabric of our universe. Maybe there are artists who are just, quite simply, an anomaly. So while allowing for that margin of error, I will focus on the majority. Art tends to derive from adversity. 2. Arts are not worthy of the same status as Wall Street, Government, or Tech. This is why we see continued cuts to Arts funding. Hive-like logic tells us we could probably survive without the Arts, but not without economics, a basic system of laws, or the technology that allows us to communicate, explore, and build our world. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that the value of the Arts is immeasurable, primarily because of the discussion around what defines art (#WhatisArt). How do you create a controlled environment sans art to measure against one rich in it? One might argue that creative thinking, in essence art, manifests itself in every environment...including in the way Wall Street has learned to skirt the law, government draws party lines, and tech is largely designed in artistic packages - you certainly wouldn’t have been able to convince Steve Jobs that the iPhone is not a work of art. So it is by a basic, static definition of “art” that our society relegates artists to the fringes. 3. If you're a “real” artist, you can’t possibly be making money from it. There is something inherently immoral about making money from art. This has been subconsciously drilled into our minds since childhood. Along with that comes the guilt of pursuing a career in the Arts. Artists are told to have fall-back careers. Or worse yet, learn to juggle a “real” job. If you choose full-time work as an artist it must be for a non-profit...right? Or you’re waiting to be discovered. Well you can only be discovered by an “other.” And once an artist is deemed worthy of success by an outsider, somehow that validation makes all those stigmas of making money from art disappear. The “other” uses business/entrepreneurial strategies to bring the artist into the fast-paced commercial market. A record label, gallery owner, patron of the arts, venue owner, producer/investor - these are all “others” seeking to exploit opportunity. It’s certainly not always bad, but by placing their career in the hands of an “other,” it leaves artists extremely vulnerable to exploitation. The base assumption that artists can not and should not find success independently reveals a methodical flaw in how our culture views the Arts. The psychology behind this is complicated because partnering is not inherently a bad idea, especially if it catapults a career. No one can work in a vacuum and it takes a village to grow a business. The point is not to avoid partnerships. The point is to find #AnotherWay to avoid exploitation by working within existing systems. Occasionally an artist becomes an “other” and begins cultivating rising stars of their own: A&R reps, curators, agents, indie labels, self-producing actors, galleries owned by visual artists, etc. Becoming the 'other' only corrupts when it perpetuates a system of exploitation - the abused becoming the abuser. --- At some point industry itself needs to evolve to maintain sustainability. The music industry hasn't made any systematic changes since the Kesha controversy. The film industry has an opportunity with the Weinstein scandal...but nobody seems to be talking about the industry's systemic defects, associated with a history rooted in abuse and exploitation. The real heart of the issue is the process of how artists become successful. #ArtistDevelopment One way to break the exploitation/insecurity cycle is by empowering artists to think like a business. That requires asking questions and being open to conversation, throwing out assumptions, and challenging past conclusions. The Arts can rival Tech in the socio-economic environment. Culture does benefit equally from artistic expression as it does the next iPhone. Collectively we need to consider: What is the cultural context in which art is seen? Do social ills hold artists down? Who is the “tortured artist” and why is he/she misunderstood? By looking outside, we can better understand the inside. By challenging the idea of a static worldview, we can start to truly build sustainability not only for the Arts, but for our world. 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.