Please, Don’t Be Cool: 10/21
From the journal October 2021:
My plea to all artists, including myself.
Stop playing it cool, stop the act, stop the pretense, stop the masquerade. Just be passionate, intense, and authentic. Let your heart beat loud, let your voice rise high, let your spirit shine bright. There is beauty in the rawness of emotion, beauty in the intensity of feeling, beauty in the authenticity that flows from your very core. Playing it cool is a facade, a thin veneer that masks the truth, the truth of who you are, the truth of what you feel. It is a performance, a careful choreography of self-restraint, of guardedness, of holding back, and it does not serve you, no, it does not serve you at all. You are not meant to be an enigma, a puzzle to be solved, a riddle wrapped in a mystery. You are meant to be seen, to be known, to be felt in all your vibrant complexity.
So be passionate, passionate in your pursuits, in your relationships, in your art, in your life. Let the fire of your spirit blaze brightly, illuminating the path before you, igniting the hearts of those who cross your way. There is a power in passion, a magnetism that draws people in, like moths to a flame, like flowers turning toward the sun. It is in the intensity of your expression that you invite others to join you, to dance with you, to share in the richness of existence. Authenticity is the key, the key that unlocks the door to genuine connection, to true intimacy, to the beauty of being together in this crazy world. When you shed the cool facade, you reveal the truth of your heart, the layers of your experience, the depths of your being. You become a beacon of light, a source of inspiration, a reminder that it is okay to feel deeply, to express openly, to embrace the entirety of who you are. And whoever sticks around is meant for you. Those who are drawn to your authenticity, to your passion, to your intensity, they are the ones who resonate with your truth. They see you, the real you, beneath the surface, and they appreciate the beauty of your spirit. They understand that life is not about playing it cool; it is about engaging fully, diving deeply, and embracing the messiness of existence.
To be passionate is to live fully, to experience the highs and lows, the joy and sorrow, the love and loss. It is to embrace the richness of life, to welcome the chaos, to revel in the adventure. When you are authentic, you invite others to join you on this journey, to share in the laughter, to comfort in the tears, to celebrate the moments that make life worth living. So stop playing it cool, stop it now. Shed the layers of pretense, discard the armor of detachment, and allow your heart to speak. Let your voice rise in a song of authenticity, let your emotions flow like a river, unrestrained and free. Embrace the intensity of your passions, the depth of your feelings, the beauty of your unique expression.
In this embrace, you will find freedom, freedom to be yourself, to be unapologetically you. The opinions of others may swirl about like leaves in the wind, but you will stand firm in your truth. You will attract those who resonate with your spirit, those who celebrate your intensity, those who cherish your authenticity. And in that beautiful connection, you will find a sense of belonging, a sense of home, a sense of love that transcends the superficial. So be passionate, be intense, be authentic, and let the world see you, the real you, in all your glorious complexity. For in that visibility lies the magic of true connection, the joy of shared experience, and the beauty of being alive together.
