The Fire in the Heart

Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)

The true artist has a faith in what he or she is doing that is so strong it doesn’t matter if anyone has a negative opinion about it. 

This was true of the Impressionists. It was true of Van Gogh.

If great artists of the past had stopped creating art the moment someone said an unpleasant thing about it then we would not be speaking off them today. 

Genius moves forward regardless of personal inadequacies. It never stops. It persists regardless of any deficiencies in skill, precision or talent.

Many of the greatest artist of the world were never talented. They just never gave up. It is because of their audacity and passion regardless of their limitations that we are able to be inspired by them today.

That doesn't mean a person should never accept advice or criticism, it just means that advice and criticism will not stop you.

Some may say, Yes, what you say may be true of a genius, or some great artist, but certainly not me.

The only difference between you and a truly great artists is that the truly great artist doesn’t think about himself; how he's measuring up. Instead, he is busy applying 100% of his attention to his creativity.

Internal criticism is the worst. If you believe in your negative opinions about yourself, they will crush you. But why be crushed?

Believing you are either great or inadequate if for amateurs. If you have a fire in your heart then let it burn through your life and into the world. The rest will take care of itself.
—ph

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