Whatever an artist creates, it is an echo of their life.
When a reader turns the pages of one of my novels, if she listens closely, she’ll hear whispers of my life escaping from between the lines. Yes, I’ve plotted fictional characters facing obstacles that I placed in a specific order leading to “the end” of my design. But often, the catalyst for a story is from an experience in my life. Or the story’s rhythm matches the beat of my heart because the characters are struggling with emotional questions I’m trying to answer, too.
I live life a little louder on this blog because there are no fictional characters positioned between me and you. The words are mine and mine alone, not miked through my imagination into a hero’s or heroine’s point of view. And I’m not just talking to myself about courage or brokenness or faith or family or stress or success — I’m thinking of each one of you, hoping you’ll join the conversation and “live out loud,” too.
Whether you consider yourself an artist or not, everyone needs to live life out loud. A life of silence means living overlooked — and we were meant to be seen. To be heard.
Is it risky to live out loud? Absolutely. But just like reading a book helps it become a “real” book, when we live out loud, we are living real lives, in relationship with one another.
In Your Words: How do you live life out loud?
In Others' Words: Live Life Out Loud http://bit.ly/2BAAsp4 #quotes #creativity Share on X 'I am an artist ... I am here to live out loud.' http://bit.ly/2BAAsp4 Quote by Emile Zola #creativity #life Share on X
Comments 5
I live out loud every day, because I have a message that’s both vital and urgent:
Life is worth your best effort, no matter what.
Pancreatic cancer, non-H lymphoma, and cascading metastases have tried to hammer me into a mould of despair, but I never did really learn to knuckle under, and while there are moments of “I do NOT want this to be happening!”, for the most part I’m getting on with life, and appreciating the hope that optimism offers.
It’s not a Pollyannish hope; I’m a dead man walking, and I know that. But each moment stolen from the devil’s cesspool of despond (a nod, there, to Bunyan) is a shining victory.
And victory builds upon victory. I’ve walked through the sludge of vomit and incontinence, and these are my stepping stones to glory, because I chose their form.
Per ardua ad astra.
Maybe the ending tag should be, ‘Per cloaca ad astra’.
Through the sewer to the stars.
Hell yeah.
Author
Per ardua ad astra.
“Through adversity to the stars” works well.
And sometimes adversity mean we slog through a sewer, right?
Author
Andrew: Yes, you do choose to life life out loud. To let your voice be heard, and to give encouragement to others in your own distinctive way.
“Victory builds upon victory.”
Amen to that!
I’m late in seeing this. I do believe in living out loud, almost flaunting life and victory because they have not been promised, which makes them all the sweeter, the colors brighter, the songs and music more pleasing. I’ve been given the gift of appreciating life and do so to the max.