Are You the Black Sheep?

Most artists that I know are the black sheep in their families, or in society for that matter. Some of them have gone through tough times trying to understand why they've been rejected...coming to grips with the fact that an artist's life can be lonely because few people understand you. Our voices are crystal clear above the fog of world events. That's unsettling for the majority. When students confide in me that they wish to become professional artists, I applaud their gumption, yet also warn them that they may alienate themselves from much of the world. I also tell them that being congruent with their beliefs is the only way to be a successful artist.

The voice I've developed and nurtured in my writing has carried me through a rollercoaster life quite well. I savor the up's and use the down's as fodder for new writing material. I've been the black sheep since I can remember...the child who went astray...took the overgrown path because he wanted to see what was there.

Now that I've earned a bit of recognition, I look back at the struggles in getting here. It's like child birth. After the baby's out, mothers don't remember the pain. So I say to you black sheep out there...stick with it my friends, and remember...sometime the majority simply means that all the fools are on the same side.