We can’t choose our parents, family, community we are raised
in or the schools we go to as children but we can choose our mentors. We can choose to find those who speak life to
us and show us who God has created us to be.
I look for those who have done something like I want to do.
They can’t do what I want to do because what I do is unique to me and how I am
designed. I don’t want to be like my
mentors but rather I want my mentors to inspire me to be me.
Many of my mentors don’t know me. They don’t know me because I only know them
because I have read their work or watched their videos online or spent ours
looking at their work or their websites.
As I look at them and their work I allow their work to inspire me to do
my work.
By looking at them and through them I see a reflection of
me. I am not trying to become them. To
try to be like someone is to become a carbon copy at best. We were not uniquely designed to repeat what
was done. We were created to do our thing, some new stuff, some never before
seen stuff.
We should rejoice when people call us weird, unusual or ask
that famous question, “What is that?” “It
is me and my work. It is me being and doing what God has called me to be and
do.” People may not get you and that is
OK! As long as you get you, understand
and appreciate you, then it will be OK.
I want to shout out one of my many mentors today. Bruce Davidson inspires my photography. I love his work but his work is not my work
and I am not trying to be like Mr. Davidson but rather I invite him to inspire
me.
Develop a list of people who when you look at them they
inspire you. Buy their stuff, bookmark
their website, add their YouTube videos to your favorites. When you are looking for inspiration look to
them! Who is on your list? Who do you look at on the daily to be
inspired?
Many bands are on my 'mentor list.' Something about music, and especially music with stories, that inspire me. Authors, too. There is something about the act of storytelling (in whatever medium) that makes me want to create. Bands like Turnpike Troubadors, Stoney Larue or Jerry Jeff Walker are great storytellers (I could go on, but I'll stop with those). Then author's like Brit Lit greats, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and James Joyce), and American Lit authors like Zora Neale Hurston, William Faulkner, Toni Morrison, and Clyde Edgerton. Exploring others creativity is where I get my inspiration to make my own creations.
ReplyDeleteGod gave us uniqueness called talent( gift). If we do not develop to use it, we will be called to be "wicked and lazy servant".Matt 25. God allows us to have neighbors to share the gift to serve and to be served, even before we know it, just like mentors.Thankful to have people around me are inspiring me, like you, Dr. Watkins .
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