Waiting for Perfection

I'd first like to say, I am in no way or shape endorsing people to "settle" by this blog post. I'd never do something like that so, let's be very clear about that, okay?

Good.

I'm not sure exactly WHEN it happened (or if its been happening all along and I just NOW took time to notice) but, it seems that people have fallen into a strange mindset which they live by, a weird way of thinking that has people obsessed with waiting for perfect moments to happen. These instances where the stars and planets align and create circumstances that allow one to find or do...whatever it is they're looking for or, seeking to attempt. Some directive that people seem to run by which makes them impatiently pace back-and-forth until...SOMETHING lines up with the invisible standard they've ascribed too and have the sudden "all clear!" to go out and basically "BE" or "DO."

This BOTHERS me. It bothers me A LOT.

I mean, when did we (as a species) really have to wait to "BE" or "DO" anything? When we hadn't figured out building with tools? Fire? How can anyone in THIS day and age, be so filled with hesitance to ATTEMPT something?

I'm sure you've heard one of these:

"I PLAN on doing that at some point..."
"I'm just waiting until I have the very BEST amount of..."
"Well, the PLAN was..."
"As soon as..."

See? Hesitance by no small amounts, people!

I recently (and by "recently" I mean sometime in the past 6 months) read that more people are putting off getting married, having kids, and attempting to do something they've always wanted to do, NOW than EVERY BEFORE in the last 15 years of American History. That's a STAGGERING number, if you think of it. I mean, we live in a day where people crowd fund simple projects and launch non-profits left and right. Why would anyone want to hold back, hesitate, and limit, when so much momentum exists in the new and the thoughtful?

Many industries that thrive upon the adventurous nature of the American consumer to purchase or consume the things they have before, has found that the populace wants different, wants something that seems new or invigorating, or wants things that are honestly WORTHWHILE.

So, if all that is happening, if so many people lament the useless old hypes, if everyone seems to be craving to have better ideas, newer thrills, and fresher perspectives...why wouldn't people feel that now is a time to go DO and BE?

Are we all so SCARED and TIMID? Really? Are we all that stuck on playing it safe? Waiting for some  random "perfect moment" to come along?

It vexes me (YES, I said "vexes me.")

There are brave people out there. Right now. Brave people. They're making the choice to take risks and chances (and not just because they pulled out a "Monopoly beatdown") and really attempt to make things happen. They're seeking to DO things, to BE.

But...they're in the minority. They are not the popular choice, nor are they the "rational" ones (which I learned by talking to some church friends of mine.) Its not "safe" or "smart" to do that. It's better to "wait for when the moment is right."

I went to school for graphic design. There were well over 100 students in my graduating class. When I recently looked up some of them to see how they were doing, nearly all of the ones I personally knew from classes, don't even use the skills they went to school for. The ones who do, hate their jobs.

It could be family, it could be your friends...shoot, it could be a spouse. This idea of "waiting for a perfect moment" is just another form of submission. You see the world as great and awesome YET it holds this scary authority over your life to a degree that it cripples you from even trying to REALLY live...to really break free from the "company line" or "the norm."

I've waited for moments myself. I've grabbed an idea that in order to do, or say, or be something, that I needed that instance of kismet and...it never came. There's never been anything I've wanted to do that came from me sitting around waiting for a perfect moment to appear. The BEST things have come from me actually DOING, from me actually BEING.

I'm sure this is soapboxing at its finest. I'm sure it could read pretty laughable...or not "my usual." I get all that but, it doesn't make it anymore true. What would anyone be waiting for? Is it to not fail? We all fail. We all fall short. That's a given. Even the world's best atheletes will lose. On their way to being the peak by which others aspire, they failed and grew from it. Why would you wait on your duff for a moment to come? Do you think if you do you'll be ready? You've been "waiting." Won't that mean you're not practiced?

I waited a long while for artistic "perfect moments" to happen. They didn't come up and nothing REALLY happened UNTIL I started DOING things. Until I finally chose to take that risk and BE.
I'm still in the middle of the process. I'm working harder and harder as the days go on. I'm well aware I could fail but (and if there's nothing better to take from this post, let it be this,) I understand that no thing nor person whom has ever been called great or hailed as special and notable in history, did it by WAITING for PERFECTION.

Sacrifice, doing things and putting in effort defines them ALL. And even the most read about figure in all of time had to do, say and be to end up as someone we could call the closest to perfection that anyone did. And he has the best selling (and most stolen) book of all time to prove it through His story.

Get out there, DO things, BE.

Live and try, fail and learn from it. Don't be the last one waiting for the perfect time to come to you.

In the spirit of not waiting, here's an imperfect attempt at inking one of my fav pencils, "The Girl Who Ate...The World!!" I intend to keep trying my best, to make the best illustrations I can.

- Conduct Lionhardt

Follow up: Jumping with Glass

Really quick, here is the inked version of one of those non-photo blue layouts a did. The girl jumping and glass falling. I will likely mess with the glass a a few small details but, it didn't turn out half bad...

technical and brush pen on Bristol.

- Conduct Lionhardt

The Gear Up

First off, I like the title of this post. Just reading it there...its cool. I think I may do a song or story titled that...

I feel pretty bad. I'm totally becoming one of those people that puts up a blog with bold and fancy intentions to keep the content on it constant and to frequently have reasons for people to come and check things out...who then proceeds to hardly ever post.

The thing is, I'm just busy. I wish that weren't true in the sense that it is, though. See, I'm busy gearing up to BE busy. I have some ambitious things I'd like to attempt to make happen this year and, in order to do them, I have to take this time to really get my discipline (schedule-wise,) techniques, materials, and money, where it needs to be. That means...well, the blogging of thoughts, interviews, and some art bits, takes a heavy backseat.

The whole thing brought me to thinking, though. Its funny how in life we end up in these moments where we are working toward doing "Real work," the sort that a person finds internally (or maybe externally as well) fulfilling. I'm sure I'm not the only one who, in a sense, has had to do "The Gear Up," moving all pieces to where they need to be in order to begin the process of starting something.

I guess it's not just with "projects" though. Could be a relationship you're seeking to begin (or rejuvenate,) or a new approach to how you look at life. We all do it. Sometimes its for ourselves, other times for our future, and even sometimes, we do it for the benefit of others. There's something really intersting about that timeframe, where we seek to get it all together.

In those times you really learn a good deal about yourself.

Its funny that, for me, I find my conversations with God really end up having me stop ignoring stuff I was procrastinating to change. Its easy to push things aside, especially stuff that we're really gonna have to work at to get passed or correct. It is always tough but, I'm really glad that it happens. I need those moments, as tough as they are. It's through this "process" that I literally start to feel a freshness come with every striving step forward. On the other side you find...you're probably more equipt for what it was you were trying to do. You had to change to be able to do them.

I hope that is the case with me, here, because the stuff I'm trying to do is really cool and exciting to me. I hope that excitement and freshness translates to the work. I hope it translates to those who'll give it a chance. I hope all the progression I'm striving for, comes through. I hope it will be as worthwhile to experience for others, as it seems to be for me bringing it all together.

We'll see...

- Conduct Lionhardt