To present oneself in the World, one runs the risk of not being accepted. This is the biggest heartbreak anyone can experience, because it means that all our ideologies, our worldviews, our character traits, all that makes us who we are, could not hit home. And we want it to hit home, because we want to be understood.
Whether we’re presenting our Art to an audience or some vulnerabilities to a single person, we’re setting ourself up for possible loss. Loss of our confidence, loss of approval, loss of love, even. When we step up to the plate and say, “This is me,” we’re preparing to meet some kind of a storm.
These days, we can’t not face the music. If we’re not hiding, we’re out in plain sight. Right in the view of the scope. And once we’re there, there’s no turning back.
Being honest is hard because it requires us to communicate stuff about ourselves that we may not even entirely be comfortable with. True honesty is rare – it is found in all good Art, and in all successful relationships.
There is no difference between an Artist and a Person In The World. They both have to face the music – that is, if they want to stand a chance of being understood, of hitting home. For both the Artist and the Person, hitting home is a victory. But if whoever we’re presenting to decides that they want no part in our honesty, that too is a victory.