For all the crazies out there who want to make art

Written by Franque Michele

I’m a crazy. Take me to a dance performance and I’ll spend the next week practicing moves in the mirror determined to find my place on the stage. Let me watch a good movie, I’ll research film making. When I read a good book, inspiration tugs me there too. Now maybe all that doesn’t land me a spot in the DSM 5, but it made life a bit crazy. For many reasons, I chose teaching as a career and I had no time to really get all of these creative juices flowing. I would spend a few weeks on a creative high, and then settle back down into reality.

Now my crazy girl episodes were pretty harmless for a while, but a year ago, at age 35, I stepped into the danger zone.  I quit my job and chose to embrace myself as a creative and figure out how to take fleeting inspiration and make a project stick.

It took a lot of soul searching to get me to take myself seriously as an artist and this is what came up that encouraged me to step out on faith.

My beliefs changed

I saw through the lie “You can’t pay your bills doing that *#@!”

I read three books. Mindset by Carol Dweck. Yes Please by Amy Poehler and Goals by Zig Ziglar.

Those books gave me too many examples of people beating the odds and not letting money get in their way. I got the message.

I recognized some of my strengths

1. I am a hard worker

I’m a creative with a master’s in mathematics. I know I can bust my balls, ovaries, whatever, and create awesome stuff. Why not with the creative projects that I’ve always wanted to pursue?

2. I seek wise counsel in doing things

I met and hired an amazing life coach who helped me learn how to approach life as a creative and to accept the fact that as a creative, I will need discipline and strategy.  It helped immensely.  Every creative needs a good team.

I came to terms with some truths

1. I am going to die anyway

Steve Jobs said it, it’s not paranoia! It’s a sheer invitation to be reckless.

Yeah, that is his exact quote. Well maybe not verbatim. Well anyway.

2. I want to do this more than anything​.

I owe it to myself to give this dream my absolute best.

It has been a year since I took that leap of faith and I’ve accomplished more than I could have ever imagined. I started a blog that I love, I finished nanowrimo, I’ve acted in a short film, and I’ve joined a group of great writers who critique my work and feed my soul.

I don’t want to be alone​ in this. Please join me. Your inner crazy is calling.

Check out Franque and her stuff at franquebains.com