Over the past few days, I have been blessed with the opportunity to work alongside young fellow creatives and artists, and I can’t help but relish in gratitude. In my personal experience, it’s become some what of a rare thing to see a group of creatives band together to make something special happen. I have been so accustomed to encountering artists who live self serving lives and don’t have any interest in adding to the culture or industry, unless they are promised fame and fortune. I used to label these people as selfish, until I realized that they didn’t know any better.

Author and life coach, Iyanla Vanzant, had a sit down interview with Oprah Winfrey where she discussed the difference between being selfish and selffull. Although the context of their conversation was different, it made me realize that not everyone is in a place to give more of themselves. Many are functioning from a place where they see their glass as half empty. To them, giving anything more would mean taking away from the little that they already have.

I have this phrase that I use with family and friends whenever I feel like I need time to silence the mind and centre myself. I say: I do not have any energy to offer you right now. That is usually followed up by me requesting time to be alone until I gather myself and my emotions. In the beginning, many of my friends and family said I was being selfish. But the truth of the matter was that I wasn’t selfFULL. I needed to take a moment so that I was solid enough to offer more of me without taking away from what I had in my cup.

A lot of artist’s feel like they are better than that lowing paying acting or writing job, so they don’t take it. They sit around waiting for a big break that never comes. Why? Because the opportunity that would have changed their life forever showed up in a shopping cart, when they were expecting a Lamborghini. Nine times out of ten, it all stems from insecurity. A place where your ego tells you that you will never be successful unless your dream looks like this.

A creative who is selffull can never be broken because they know that no matter their circumstances, they are destined for greatness. They see the big picture and can find beauty in the baby steps.

Right now there’s a young filmmaker who has just started his final year of film school. Every Thursday he goes to a small meet up for filmmakers in a tiny conference room in the back of a coffee shop. A meetup that you’ve avoided attending because you felt it would be a waste of time. What you didn’t know is that, the young filmmaker was working on a film that is going to be nominated for an Oscar in 2021. A film that everyone in that tiny conference room was apart of.

The only way that we can see change happen is if we take the time to make sure our glass is full.

Resources

Oprah’s Lifeclass Interview with Iyanla Vanzant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhqokZF5OFU

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