Inspiration is for amateurs

This quote from New York painter and printmaker Chuck Close has been pinned to my desktop for years. Chuck is one of my personal heroes. His wall-sized, haunting self-portrait is front and center as you walk in my apartment. He was a well-known abstract painter in SoHo who, 20 years ago, had a stroke, almost died, and became paralyzed. In the aftermath of recovery, he redefined artistic expression in a format that was not restricted by, but freed by his physical limitations. And elevated himself to the very top of critical and popular success in the art world.

The only real obstacle in your path to a fulfilling life is you, and that can be a considerable obstacle because you carry the baggage of insecurities and past experience. Last night, while surfing the television channels, I came across an episode of "Charlie Rose. Though he is severely paralyzed due to a spinal artery collapse that occurred in , he continues to paint and produce highly sought-after, incredible works of art. There's no waiting. You make art. The inspiration is in the process; the energy and motivation is in the doing. At the same time, an e-mail from a Tushkateer a member of the Kick in the Tush Club popped up in my inbox.

The answer seems obvious: yes. If a painting inspires its viewers, it must been created by an inspired artist, right? I say no. Inspiration makes for a good origin story, but if you look at how most great thinkers actually work, inspiration seems to play a pretty minor role. Personally, I have another problem with waiting for inspiration: it takes the power away from the artist, making us mere vessels.

So I wrote that novel, and I cleaned it up, and I sent it out agents, and I was rejected — over times throughout the course of a year. I would get close. Two years ago, I began my second novel, and accepted that my first would sit somewhere on a shelf or in a drawer.