INSPIRATION FOR YOU TO OVERCOME

I must say, that before I found this quote, I had never heard of Chuck Close. He is an American Artist famous for photorealism or hyperrealism (translation: taking ordinary photographs and making them into abstract art). His achievements and ability to overcome obstacles is fascinating .....

It's people like him that can be an inspiration to us ordinary folks on our path towards success. Why?

First, he was born with a rare medical condition called Prosopagnosia - he is unable to recognize faces. (yes, this is real, I had never heard of it!) And he is dyslexic. However, he received a B.A, then an MFA from Yale and then was a Fulbright Scholar - he never stopped learning (I know as a teacher I harp on that!)
Furthermore, the focus of his work is PORTRAITS.

We all have a story & I am sure most of us have overcome obstacles. Remember to take stock of these things! Never forget that YOU deserve recognition for your bravery! Don't let your challenges leave you in a corner feeling hopeless - A lot of successful people have turned their handicaps into strengths and used those things to INSPIRE their creativity and to bring healing to others.

Second, In 1988 Close suffered a seizure which left him paralyzed from the waist down. He now paints with a brush actually tied to his hand and it can take him years to finish one painting?!?!

Yes, I know the super incredible are a rare breed. But stories like this remind me of the blessings that I take for granted. It's a reminder to stop complaining..... And think about it? A 'weakness' is a perspective - most of the time it is something we can improve and there's a magic when we can turn it into INSPIRATION!

Back to the Quote, along the way I have been lucky to learn a lot from other songwriters and artists. There is one thing that often rings true when I hear them or spend some time chatting - the ones who stay the distance are the ones who Work At It.

For those of you Taosenos (peeps in Taos, NM) we all know the music of the wonderful Michael Hearne One of the first times we hung out he said to me, "You have to dig deep to write and you can't wait for the inspiration to just appear, you need to show up and work at it..." Chuck Cannon, Walt Aldridge, Diane Warren, Janis Ian, I could go on.... have all echoed those words as well as my mentor Cari Cole
Her other mantra is "You Can Do This"

So please note, that I don't mean for this E-zine to be a buzz kill to your creativity or to your path. I mean it to be INSPIRATION to stay on your path! The reality is that living our dreams sometimes takes more time and work than we want to believe. Don't worry, I believe in you - "You Can Do This"- Whatever you set your mind to!

Love Light Music and Inspiration to each and every one of you
XO
Meredith

For More about Chuck and His Art click here: https://www.artsy.net/artist/chuck-close