“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.”
This quote by Martha Graham resonates on so many levels. It reminds me of my potential as an artist and that I have a right to express. It begs the questions: Am I allowing ego or fear of failure to run my life? Or am I listening to the whispers of my muse begging me to follow in her path to be a creator in this world? To share with the world and connect with people. But how often do we fall short with our work or stop dead in our tracks because we feel we’re not good enough or maybe no one cares? Martha reminds us to check our ego at the door and just do the work. For if we don’t, our unique expression in this world will be lost forever.
So what are your thoughts? Does this quote touch a nerve in you? Are you blessed to have a constant flow of creativity in your life or do you sometimes experience road blocks?
Photo courtesy of harlemworldblog.wordpress.com
Ingrid Schaffenburg's Blog 
Fear is the mind-killer. It is the little death that brings total annihilation.
I love that quote from the book, “Dune” and it is SO true. Fear strangles our creative process, so we need to get in the habit of letting go and daring as if we can never fail. THAT is when we find our greatness.
Beautiful post.
Thank you Kristen 🙂
Love this: “It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. ” – in fact, love the entire post. Thanks to Kristen for sending me over here from FB.
This is just what I needed to hear this morning.
Lovely lovely . . .
It’s my daily mantra 😉
When I jumped into this writing process… and it is a process… I had hopes and aspirations and visions of success knowing the road ahead would be a bumpy ride. But if I keep my wits and hang on only to see those hopes crumble and success flee, I can still say to myself that I have tried and failed, throwing caution to the wind and maybe the bumpy ride was worth it as I managed to learn and grow. I constantly remind myself that the most successful people are also ones who experienced numerous failures. Good luck in your successes.
My daily mantra, with a little intrepidity is; never give up, never surrender.
Warmest Regards
Awesome. Thank you Mark! Well said!
What a wonderful perspective on our unique abilities. “It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly…” Such inspirational advice. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome Robin!
This is beautiful!!!
love,
Mom