Ricky:
Question was: what can I do to build up my confidence, elevate my natural energies and excel in my art?
Answer: Excellent question. First, to build up your confidence, you need to excel in your art first. Confidence that’s not based on anything real is itself not real. The problem with school these days is that in elementary school you pass no matter what (so as to spare fragile confidence in young kids). So passing isn’t based on anything. To put it another way: if everyone in a race gets a trophy, why not just walk in the race instead of running? To elevate your natural energies is also easy: excel in your art!
This answer, then, is: excel in your art and you will be more energetic (excited about doing your art) because you’re good at it, and will become confident because other people will recognize you’re good at it.
So your next question should be: HOW do I excel in my art? Please note that I don’t even really know what kind of artist you are. Fortunately, the advice I am about to give applies to ALL and ANY human endeavour. According to Malcolm Gladwell (please do a google search and watch his TED talk), and other researchers, it takes about 10,000 hours of dedicated study to become an expert at something. Practice playing basketball or hockey for 10,000 hours and you’ll be a great player, far above average. Study physics with intensity for 10,000 hours and you’ll be an expert at physics. Really concentrate on music or drawing or sculpture for 10,000 hours and you’ll be really good at those things as well. It really is that simple. And when you get really good at something, it changes your life.
How long is 10,000 hours? Well, let’s say you can spend 4 hours a day, 6 days a week working hard at something. That’s 24 hours per week. So 10,000 hours is 417 weeks or about 8 years (assuming no vacations). That’s how much time you have to work at something.
Incidentally, Americans watch (on average) 33.7 hours of TV per week (http://www.digitalhome.ca/2009/11/time-spent-watching-tv-continues-to-climb-in-u-s/). Canadians watch (again, on average) 19.6 hours of TV per week (www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/famil36a-eng.htm). So, the average American becomes an expert at watching TV in just 5.7 years — typically before they’re even teenagers! Canadians become TV watching experts after about 9.8 years.
What does this have to do with anything? Well, I’m just pointing out that to be an expert takes time. Obviously, watching TV cuts into that time. And thus, I will now give you the 4 useful pieces of advice that you also asked me to throw in:
1) Time is valuable. Time is what makes you good at something. Don’t waste it on things like TV and video games; there’s no upside in being an expert video game player. Beware of people who always want you to do things for them without doing anything in return; they are simply stealing your time as surely as a thief would steal physical items.
2) The number one thing that determines whether or not you will be happy in life is who you marry. You will not be able to adequately judge this until at least age 25 (and possibly 30) if you are male; your testosterone will cloud your judgement. But try.
3) NEVER get on the wrong side of compound interest. In other words: avoid debt, debit cards and credit cards and loans. You will almost certainly need a mortgage at some point, so this advice is impossible to follow perfectly. However, do not believe what people say about using a credit card to build your credit rating. Trust me: if you have $60-80,000 in the bank and have an income based on the fact you’re good at something, the bank will be more than happy to give you a mortgage even without you having a credit card. Bonus point: it’s hard to steal the identity of somebody who deals only in cash.
4) While I firmly believe that “social networks” are a complete and utter waste of time, your REAL social network is very important. It’s a case of quality versus quantity. You never know who will someday be in a position to do you a favour, so be nice to people when they’re small/young/unimportant. It will pay off. And keep track of the people you find interesting; invest some of your time in them. The old saying that “it’s who you know, not what you know” actually has an element of truth in it. The problem with social networking is people seem to collect hundreds and hundreds of “friends”. Can you really have hundreds of friends? Spend your time with the people that really matter.
5) Karma exists.
Hope that helps!
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