Scribbles from my notebook
Some unrelated notebook entries from this week.
Born for Drama
Things happen to some people. They are born for drama. For the not normal. For a story. I guess I am one of them. My son was born on 31st December. I became a comedian in my 40s. Nothing is normal in my life, and yet everything feels normal. When crazy seems like the norm, you know you are crazy!
Some of us are a different breed. If you look at our childhood pictures, you would never see us standing normally in them. We are born to tell stories because stories happen to us. Whether we want it or not, we are born for drama. It is not about seeking attention. We can sit quietly in a coffee shop for a year, and drama will find us. We enter rooms wanting to remain unnoticed, and we end up in the middle of action.
We don’t seek it; we are simply born for it. We are not abnormal; we are just not normal. Our entire existence is to be the subject of stories.
Show them the art and stop there!
The flip side of being an artist is that you become a vague human being who people don’t understand. They are not even supposed to. They have their own life. A job. Their life is not about constantly finding some deeper meaning in everyday, regular things. Hell, some are not even waiting for inspiration all day. They are normal.
No artist has the right to impose their ‘artist mode’ on others, especially their loved ones. We tend to romanticize everything, and by everything, I mean everything. We are selfish individuals who believe that our work is divine and that everyone else’s work is merely a job.
Some things are better left internal. It’s not necessary to burden the world with your personal journey to creating art. Instead, showcase your art. No one tells you about the iPhone’s manufacturing process, the individuals who worked through the night shifts, or those who sacrificed their personal preferences to meet the design deadline. No. You are delivered the iPhone. The finished product.
That is how artists should behave. Just deliver the art. Stop looking for validation even while creating it. It is not that tough or that great either way.
The Innocence of 100s
It is fun when you are coming up. Initial growth is exciting. You can make mistakes, and nobody cares. You don’t have an image to stick to. You have more freedom to experiment.
Then you go from 99.9K followers to 100K followers, and you lose sight of the 100s. Increments become noticeable only in the thousands. Small wins become invisible. You stop learning from small losses.
It is not so much the pressure of delivering bigger, better stuff as it is the absence of the small joys of seeing 100s grow. You celebrate lesser.
There is a certain innocence in the 0 to 99K journey.
A page from my notebook
Shaping my new standup special - Spoiler Alert.
The Notebook
I found this amazing notebook at a tiny stationery shop in Lausanne station, Switzerland. It has become my absolute favorite notebook ever! But here’s the catch: It doesn’t have a brand name or a serial number, so I can’t identify the manufacturer.
I might have to plan another trip to Switzerland just to get more of these!
Book Recommendation
I am mad about notebooks. Imagine my excitement when I came across this book!! And it did not disappoint! Highly recommend. Give it a read.
Love and hugs
A