Alleinertun

Always having a very clear idea of what I wanted and how to accomplish it, even well into my thirties I never felt any necessity to mess things up listening to the advice of others.

To this day one of my perhaps biggest flaws, as I’m sure a lot of things would be so much easier to accomplish if only I was able to reach out to and involve other people a little earlier in the process.

Yes, it’s great to have initiative and to want to act on your own and—

Yes, you are dependent on others and it’s basically impossible to realize your full potential always being on your own.

Add to that the fact that it is now I who have the role of the frustrated parent, whose daughters never take any of my well intended advice but just turn a blind eye and do whatever they've set their minds to.

Talk about the irony of fate . . . . .

Fortunately, we are allowed to learn throughout our lives, which I personally both enjoy and reserve the right to do. How wonderful it is to be a work in process and know that who you are tomorrow may be different from who you are today and who you were yesterday.

In fact, it is more the exception than the rule that something is unequivocally black or white. It is thus neither recommended to be ignorant when others willingly share their experiences, nor to just blindly follow other people's instructions.

As always, the trick lies in balancing things.

It is not either-or but both-and:

Yes, it’s great to have initiative and to want to act on your own and—

Yes, you are dependent on others and it’s basically impossible to realize your full potential always being on your own.

So embrace your possible tendency to alleinertun, but at the same time know that the people you have around you and the people you reach out to are your greatest resource.

Being an active part of a community is something I'm just now starting to grasp the importance of.

In fact, it may already be the single most impactful factor in my growth as an artist and as a person.

I still cling stubbornly to my own convictions on most matters, which those familiar with me would argue are set in stone. Yet, I've surprisingly begun soliciting the informed perspectives of others.

As the saying goes, you live, you learn. And I'm learning that surrounding myself with a supportive community is vital to thriving, both creatively and personally.