a little dab will do ya

I'll admit I've had a lot of trouble bearing down on one activity in the past...er present. Actually let’s just say I haven't put enough effort into doing one thing instead of splintering my attention forever always.

I like to call myself a dabbler, mostly since that term is a lot more romantic than admitting i most likely have ADD. Besides that syndrome has been way over diagnosed, especially now that social media has divided everyone’s attention into a million apps. Why the fuck is Snapchat coming back didn't we all download that only to never get enough pictures of self deleting breasts and then uninstall that app three years ago? Is it just me? ARE YOU GUYS GETTING PICTURES OF BREASTS?!

I have been dabbling in Photography, writing and design since college knowing full well that if i dedicated myself to any of those 100% I’d have a high chance of being great at one them. Maybe even financially successful. From how often people tell me about people getting paid a ridiculous amounts to take wedding photos, write ad copy or however people make a shitload of money being a graphic designer, i should probably be driving a Lamborghini right now… at the very least some scrub ferrari.

I’m telling you guys you don’t have to be great. I know that’s not really the trend right now. It seems everything from cola commercials to facebook brag posts are telling you that if you’re not a superstar in something now you will and be soon. Guess what you won’t and you shouldn’t. I’m not trying to make you feel bad about yourself (that’s just a delicious side effect) but would you even be happy being great? Be real honest with yourself. One of my best epiphanies was realising that i won’t be the best at anything and that I am ok with that.

The thing is a long time ago i realized that i would rather keep my hobbies as hobbies and my day job as what it is supposed to be, the thing that pays for your hobbies. My last post outlined how i feel about not loving your job and how you’re not supposed to so I won’t get too deep into that since if you didn’t read all of my past posts your suspect as a person and i probably don’t like you.

The best reason to dable is to keep it fresh. All hobbies really should be is an activity to serve you in a cathartic process. The dictionary description of cathartic is: “providing psychological relief through the open expression of strong emotions.” Which is exactly what you’re supposed to do, make something, pour your emotions all over it with a big feely bucket and get all that stuff out of you. Then after you’ve made your piece of art, writing or macaroni glued to a piece of paper you show it to a girl and try to get laid. It’s how we as humans have done it since we discovered the wheel and then made bigger and better wheels just to show women and impress them… or dudes. I mean i don’t want to short sell any cavewomen trying to get their freak on. I don’t want to responsible for hindering a thick skulled neanderthal betty trying to get her rocks off. Get it “rocks off” while talking about the first wheels man this comedy gold pretty much writes itself.

What the cathartic process should never involve is trying to make money by doing your art in a way you don’t really like but at least it gets you paid and you can pay your bills and at least you are doing something you love as a job right? I mean you still love it don’t you? Your job is still as magical and awesome as it used to be? Wrong it’s your job and you hate it go home and dabble in some stuff you actually do love for no other reason than you love it. Well that you love it and that after you’re done you can feel like you did something today and then just fart around the house watching tv and singing to yourself and not feeling guilty about it. I mean could i be writing as a job and then just insert a paragraph about cave people trying to fuck each other for no other reason than i think it’s hilarious? The answer is no my friend.

Don’t even worry if you don’t finish whatever project you undertake it’s about the process. Treat yourself to some dabbling do something for a few hours or even minutes i don’t judge… actually i do so if you do only go a few minutes just lie to me.

Sure I have a picture of a triceratops that’s taking me three weeks to draw and is nowhere near complete but i’m writing this instead of finishing that and you know what i might move onto something else before this is don