Beautiful insight. I made a career with a ‘future’ and after twenty years it all fell apart. Now I am living close to the street in Chicago writing poetry and performing – what I always really wanted to do. You are right about life handing you what you need – if you are honest with yourself and your art. But it takes clarity which becomes difficult when things get rough. And actually – the fear itself enriches your art beyond anything you might achieve safely. Who knows what tomorrow may bring?

I’m not so much afraid of being an artist…I’m afraid of being the artist that gets hit by the UHaul Trailer, because my ear plugs were working too well.

I love this post. It reminds us to let go of control and accept that failure is a part of life, a part of success too.

It has inspired this comment, which is more to other kids who are graduating, than to Emma. I hope you and Emma don’t mind.

From where many come from, failure is an expected part of life. Not being admitted, not being given recognized and successful mentors, not not not- have not.
So this question of “Will I fail and Survive?” doesn’t come up. It’s a given. Yeah, you’ll survive. And some who come from “I don’t have it like that” tell ourselves early on, “I can live this entire life without the experience of prison”. It’s a huge accomplishment to stay out of prison, when every male you grew up around and some of the females, did time. Running out of gas, the electricity being shut off, school classrooms with scared teachers and no books… in these United States, there are far too many who read the privilege in this post and wonder what it’s like to wish failure on yourself, because it is so unlikely.
To those kids who are graduating from high school across the tracks I say:
Listen to this post by Mr. Reynolds and know this equation: That survival you learned while growing up= a gift, a privilege. That laughter in the face of poverty= a strengthening tool and a privilege. Falling in love when you don’t have a bed to rest on= poverty’s mentorship. Bless that gift of survival as you let it go and learn to ask for what those who have a different kind of privilege ask for. You are entitled to that. Repeat after me, “Prison? That’s something I can live this whole life without experiencing, thank you very much!” And even if you do find yourself living part of this life experience behind bars, know that you can survive it, like the water being shut off, your mothers exhaustion, no vegetables in the neighborhood stores, no flowers guiding your walk home from a school with money for metal detectors, but not books. You can survive and even thrive that and any horror life contains.
“Prison? That’s something I can live this whole life without experiencing, thank you very much!”
I hope you’ll exercise your liberty like the muscle it is.
No matter what, be grateful for the privilege you have as you transcend survive to thrive.

For 50 years I was afraid. No more! Emma’s drawing is exquisite! I did not know she had this talent.

This so speaks to me today! I have resisted creating art in so many forms because it was not “perfect” or not what I thought art should be… but it just should BE!