but what if you're not good at it?

poetry and a prompt

𝚘𝚑 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏-𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 mixed media oil on linen

they say

you’re so much better now

i hope that’s okay to say

i am not hurt

we artists we make

we do

we figure it out as we go

we are not born to it

we do to it

over and over for countless hours

for many nights alone in the studio

trying to explain

we can’t

without seeming obsessed

we can’t

without the judgment

we can’t

but really there’s no need

          (we are all busy in our own movie anyway)

you’re so much better now

i hope that’s okay to say

i am not hurt

i am figuring it out

i am not hurt

i am an artist

and why by the creative gods

would i argue with growth?

how in my summer approaching

can i say you’re wrong

and why in this well-meaning

realism of opinion

by your word tornado

by your wants

by my whys

i leave it to the creative gods

and ask, is there ever an arrival?

and why by this courage of the unknown

and why in this crowd

and why in this push?

why in this flame?

i needed to believe in my then and there

otherwise, i wouldn’t be here and now

so yes, i am better now

(wait till you see tomorrow)

and thank god i started

before i was good

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Prompt:

Think/Write about a time when you realized you could do something you couldn’t do previously.

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