The old saying goes, “Seek and you shall find.” Yyyyeahright. You want the truth? Creative types are hunters, feeding that appetite for fulfillment & mental stimulation much like the cat who will only pounce on a pulled string; Catch it and the fun is over—move it and the game is afoot. I have a theory on that. I’ll explain, but bear with me.
What’s odd, and a bit funny, is that most are missing an obvious point. My theory is that the end goal or the destination represents a stoppage—a dead end. Even if you know beyond shadows of all doubt just what that thing—that “it”—is that you are reaching, digging, striving and scratching for, the actual finds are strewn behind you and left in your wake along the way. You’re far more likely to find piles of junk rather than gold. You’ll most often unearth some “life critters” that actually bite back, and hard at that. I guarantee that you stumble and fall knee-deep in shit and have those stagnant moments of exhaustion that prompt you to spin it positive, saying it was a moment for you to sit a spell & think of next moves. MmmHmm, yeah.
Awwww, I’m sorry. Didn’t you know? Weren’t you told? This is the inglorious, unpolished, decidedly unsexy reality of the “seek and you shall find” story. Oh, you’ll find a lot, but perhaps not the shiny, golden booty you struck out Jolly Roger’ing for in the first place. But now we’re getting to it—that proverbial “it”. Ask yourself; Are you seeking to find that fictional pot o’gold that somehow always ends up leaving you wanting, or are you taking in the wonders that are the struggles and progress of the entire search? We live in a society and world that teaches us to reach a destination in the shortest, fasted way possible, even turning a blind eye to questionable behavior, as long as it ultimately results in a win. I get that. I’ve done than. And I’m still on the hunt. Why?!
As one strapped with the blessing/curse of feeling the pull to perpetually search, I find myself here a this place more often than not. Even now I feel myself reaching one of those stopover points of exhaustion, rest and contemplation. Lately, I’m doing all of the right things, but coming up with handfuls of dirt. Ah, but there’s the thing. I love that. I feel alive in that need to constantly hustle. The search is the thing—the formulation of next moves and that situational adult ADHD that keeps me looking. For what? I’ll let you know when I get there, but chances are I never will. I’m finding out that I don’t seek to find anything. I seek to seek, and seek some more. And then I use all of that anecdotal evidence in my work and life. And therein lies my theory—that the “seek” is a cycle that I wish not to escape by finding any one thing. It’s my own limbo of exploration, and the truth is—I dig it.
At the center of RDQLUS is Steve Gordon Jr—a nationally-recognized, award-winning designer and creative consultant specializing in identity, branding and creative direction. Well-rounded as a artist, Steve also brings experience in audio production, writing, speaking and promotions. More about RDQLUS can be found at www.rdqlus.com.
Tags: career, creative, designer, inspiration
Fantastic medicine, this: “I seek to seek, then seek some more.” Sure needed this today. Great wisdom for moving forward!
Glad I could add a little sauce to the mental meal. Do your thing Bettina, all the best to you.