“The more the outside world tries to reinforce an image of you, the harder it is to continue to be an artist, which is why a lot of times, artists have to say ‘Bye. I have to go. I’m going crazy and I’m getting out of here.’ And they go and hibernate somewhere. Maybe later they re-emerge a little differently.”
[Steve Jobs]
I have this quote up on my office wall as well as my studio wall so I read these words fairly often. They reassure me, they help me stick to my guns and stay true to myself. They give me permission, when I need it most, to take care of myself and allow myself to disappear, put the real work first, fall into hermit-hood, take days to answer my text messages (if that’s how much time I need), and weeks to answer my emails (if that’s how much time it takes); to re-emerge when I am good and ready, and only then.