No matter what your art form, finding inspiration can, at times, be extremely challenging. What’s more, we as a species tend to curate and gate-keep interests, vocations, pop-culture preferences… damn near everything! It’s an unfortunate symptom of our innate social structures, but, as the field of psychology uncovers more about how our brains work, it’s becoming apparent that such behavior is evolutionarily outdated.
It's important to be aware of that: if societal norms proclaim something as childish or superfluous or ‘bad’ (a subjective response to expression, if ever there was one), we label it a ‘guilty pleasure.’ What a misnomer! My good friend and collaborator Jesi Mullins, who kills on screen and stage, has a saying that I encourage other artists at Space Cadets Studios to embrace: “There's no such thing as a guilty pleasure.”
I’ll drink to that every time! The things that bring us joy – the things we take pleasure in – should not make us feel guilty. This is especially true for the artist, no matter what artistic maturity you feel you’re at. Take joy in what you enjoy – they stir the feelings of life – of living – of partaking in the great experiment 'life on Earth.'
Let those things guide you, lest you risk denying an intrinsic part of yourself. Art is an expression of self – an intangible – and so, too, are our individual tastes: our likes and dislikes. There is so much to our physical makeup that the forces of the universe play upon from the moment we enter this world. We cannot explain them all, not by a long shot, but we can listen.
In his brilliant book Professor at Large, comedian, author & educator John Cleese discusses the statistics we had to prove this in 2009:
“The more I read about quantum physics, the more I am quite convinced that this is a very much weirder universe than anyone knows… If you want one example of what I am talking about, Google the following word: Gauquelin. This guy did statistical research that shows almost, I think incontrovertibly, that there is something – whatever it is, I don't know – to astrology. He knows that, for example, generals and athletes of Mars coming over the horizon at the time of their birth more than they statistically should and artists and musicians have a lack of Mars influence in their charts. Now, you may think it's poppycock, but look at the statistics. It's very strange and yet no one is talking about this.”
There is a science to us all, and it goes beyond anything we understand yet. Astrology is just our ancient way of expressing a universal truth: that the forces of the galaxy are constantly pushing and pulling at each other, which inevitably exerts force on us. With all those galactic pressures on you, why resist the natural forces of attraction? So, complete or commence that weird collection, dig up those old tunes, or boot up that movie you get grief for watching repeatedly, and do it with a sense of joy! Open yourself to playfulness and see what inspires you. Life’s hard enough as it is; don’t resist the things that make you you.
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