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Show Yourself. Show Up Your Whole Self

It takes discipline and courage to stay committed to showing up to the world regularly; showing up and sharing the work we do.  I made the commitment a few weeks ago, maybe a month or more that I would share my work, share my process through blog pieces and fb messages. I committed to do this daily. I kept up for about a month and then slipped a little; slipped but that’s ok cause when you slip you can flip the slip and re balance, start again…

I take down Austin Kleon’s “SHOW YOUR WORK” from my bookshelf. A small book i discovered while visiting my dear friend and artist extraordinaire, Dominique Dennery last February. I found this book on Dominique’s coffee table. I opened to the middle and read,

“find your voice, shout it from the rooftops, and keep doing it until the people  looking for you find you.”

Austin Kleon says share your work and also share the work that inspires you, the work that fills your head, the books, the sites, music, movies, what’s inside your journal,  on your corkboard, your refrigerator,  who are the artists, writers, educators, activists you look up to…. Share this along with your work, your process, your self, your whole self and see who shows up both inside and outside you!

Reminds me of a school friend of Maya’s who shouts regularly,

“BIG UP YOURSELF. BIG UP YOUR WHOLE SELF!”

Could also mean “SHOW YOURSELF. SHOW UP YOUR WHOLE SELF.”

I’m in again. Showing up my whole self…..

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