The Creative Path: making a real life in a world of so-called realities

Disclaimer: some may find the following post and opinions controversial, so let me say it's all based heavily on my own experiences, opinions and conjecture. Feel free to disagree. There is no comment section, so there’s no need to trouble yourself composing a carefully worded response. Haha.

“Hansel & Gretel” acrylic on canvas board from 24-piece illustration series by NG Swett. Image includes a wooded pathway on the left hand side, two teens/young adults, a dog, a sun hat with tray and cupcakes, a driveway, a farm house and barn. Classic fairy tale archetypes are alive and well today in real life. Here, a neighborly old woman in a colorful sun hat offers two children a cool drink and some cupcakes. The children may have just come from the dark path pictured in the far left side of the canvas. Their parents are unavailable, and the children may be hungry indeed. Out in the real world, away from home, what might the neighbor’s intentions be? In the classic fairy tale, the old witch lures Hansel & Gretel with her candy-covered cottage, jails them, tries to fatten them up to eat them! Luckily, the children escape and find their way home. They find their father never wanted to go along with the wicked and selfish mother, but he was a feckless and weak man. In my novel, I use this fairytale and two other classics as the very backbone of the story. ~ Nan

I’m Nan, a fellow traveler on a modern journey of discovery, a seeker among our living cohort of world citizens. I’m not a guru, expert or even especially successful (yet) according to certain metrics. So feel free to disregard!

I don’t know why today I wanted to talk about creative paths, metrics and pearls of wisdom for fellow travelers, but let’s just go with it.

U-Pick anything you find useful and leave the rest.

To begin, in my opinion, and I stress that it’s only my own opinion, we’re all mixed up about reality.

On top the usual human realities, we now have realities galore:

• virtual realities dictated by algorithms and games

• alternate realities fueled by news silos

• the warped delusional realities pedaled by so-called influencers

• new science that tells us that people can’t truly grasp reality

Okay.

Yet, even with all that’s going on “out there,” the individual must choose a path.

Confusion, Depression, Anxiety

No wonder we’re in a state! Data show “unprecedented” levels of mental health problems lately, and it’s hard to pinpoint when and how it started because there’s so much to point to.

Also, let me ask you. What are all of these realities like?

It’s hard to relax. Because when you relax, you feel you must be forgetting something. Or there’s something else you should be doing (and maybe there is).

Plus, why do we really want to relax so much? Too much relaxing gets old fast, am I right?

Hey you

How ya doin?

All the realities are trying to get our attention at the same time that’s for sure. Flashing things, easy click-y things, moody moving things, passing news chyrons, limited time offers, new products, looming things, scary people, delicious things, heavenly things, horrific things.

Hello. I’m low key trying to get your attention (thank you very much by the way).

Born This Way

As Lady Gaga says, I was born this way, with the weird creative bug.

I perceive things, I roll them through the Nan-Gen Bobber over my shoulders, and I send things out with my bare hands. Poor dear, I can’t help it!

And you? Do you have a -Gen Bobber, too?

The Path?

So now. Our path. A few notes…

The right path can be hard to find. It’s not always easy. And there’s prickers and bloodsucking ticks and fallen twigs ‘n shit. And I mean that literally and metaphorically.

Recently on social media, someone who disagreed with me told me to take a hike.

Ouchie! — Wait. I love hiking!

Sometimes there’s already a path to take, but other times you have to make one yourself.

It’s easy to take the wrong path, so don’t beat yourself up. You may not realize it for a while — or God forbid — ever. Better late than never!

Maybe someone else is telling you what you have to do, or else.

Sometimes you take the wrong path and have to backtrack to the place where you were standing on solid ground. Maybe you tried something, and at one point you realize you’ve made a mistake. Go back.

Sometimes it’s just you all alone! Maybe there are other unicorns like you out in the world, but damned if you know a single one of them from where you’re sitting.

What is the right path? Ah, that truly is the question.

The Right Metrics

Use the right metrics. What we measure and how we measure brings clarity.

Sometimes, I will tell you, for myself, sometimes there are things that are not being measured anywhere by anyone, but since I feel they are important, I put them through my “Triple M” Marbles Motivation Method. A full bowl of marbles means progress toward things that really matter to me. (Read my blog post about my marbles method here.)

The world is full of metrics and data. Choose carefully! Things are not always as they seem.

• What metrics are real to you?

• What matters to you?

• Who matters most to you?

• What do you want? What do you need?

This is not a one-and-done question. It can change constantly. Be aware of what you want and need. It’s easy to let everyone’s else’s needs take over, after all, we’re social creatures, and let’s face it: the needs are vast.

Writing things down by hand not only helps us think but helps bring things into being. Well it helps me. It’s kind of magical and mysterious. As hip hop star Erykah Badu says, “Write it down on real paper with a real pencil. And watch shit get real.”

It also helps to talk with a trustworthy, wise and smart friend or family member, if you’re lucky enough to have people like that in your life. If you don’t, you can get some.

Connect with people doing sort of what you have in mind. I’ve met many, many wonderful people that way. There are good people willing to help, willing to sign onto your project, willing to support others. And then you can turn around and help others once you’ve made a pathway.

“One” here is part of a 24-piece series of mini acrylic paintings illustrating The Clerk and the Ink Drinker In the Outer Lands (working title), my first novel. Here, a man in a white leisure suit and black ankle boots sits casually on a golden chair. Behind him are picture windows through which we can see a bridge at night. Under One’s foot is a rug in the shape of the Outer Lands Archipelago.

String of 24 Pearls of Wisdom for Path Seekers

Many people are on the lookout for a path in life, whether it’s a new path, a do-over, a remake, an exploration, an adventure, or a wild experiment.

Why now? The pandemic, tech, climate, politics, new generations, and maybe the stars are throwing everything into the air and shifting the ground underneath.

Something is has shifted. Something feels different. Things are changing very fast. Everything feels like it’s in motion. Right?

It’s a like a wave of history that hits every half century or so. Grab your surfboard, dudes and dudettes!

Old public domain image of a line of beach bums on a sunny beach in the Outer Lands.

When surfing, it’s best to get in front of the wave a bit.

IMHO, the trending key words that describe elements of a successful path into the near future include this long beaded string of 24 pearls:

Mobility, adaptability, agility, authenticity, simplicity, friendship, ownership, alertness, wisdom, courage, information, decision making, capability, action, long-term, short-term, persistence, endurance, patience, hope, joy, love, self care, peace

But what do I know. What do you think?

Add your own signature pendant(s) to the string!

U-Pick! Timeless Advice from the Outer Lands

Don’t like that string of pearls?

Someone may find the Friendship pearl controversial. Maybe it sounds “socialist.” For some people, the real world is dog-eat-dog, eat-or-be-eaten, the golden rule, etc.

Someone else may object to the Ownership pearl as “capitalist.” Maybe the American dream is a trap, a scam, a first class ruse.

The following three adages were said by someone once, and now they’re Universal. U-Pick what you like:

1. “Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”

2. “Do something, blame no one, expect nothing.”

3. “KISS: keep it simple stupid.”