The Zen of Stepping outside that Box

“If you desire to make a difference in the world, you must be different than the world.” – Elaine S. Dalton

I’m deeply in love with this statement. It reminds me of the challenge to be “In the world, but not of it.” For me, what it points towards is knowing the limits and effects of our conditioning and seeing who we are without it. To offer something totally unique and innovative means I must leave the current formulas and methods behind and seek new possibilities. If not, I can cleverly mix and match and offer something that seems new, but it will only be a patchwork quilt and will always be familiar. To offer something new, to self-express outside the box, is what many artists seek, to walk away from the derivative. I find, in seeking to know ourselves, it takes a willingness to see and express from a place that isn’t the norm, isn’t recursive, or redundant. A most challenging but beautiful challenge. And what’s really important is not the successful or failure of attempting to express outside the box, what changes us is the journey to express from a unique perspective.

It’s a beautiful day in Michigan today! Take care of you and all you love.

Bryan Wagner