Don’t Let Them Steal Your Spark
Yesterday, I sent out the first Letters From the Attic newsletter — sent quietly, and only to those who signed up. I won’t share what it contained. That’s for them. But I will share this:
Driving home from work at 12:30 a.m., I found myself stuck in a slow-motion showdown on the highway. A driver in the right lane slowed me down, so I merged left and gently bumped up the cruise control. He sped up to match me. I backed off, dropped back behind him. He slowed down. I passed again — and he matched me again, this time riding side-by-side, playing some kind of midnight ego game.
We made eye contact. Ballcap backward, sleeveless shirt, muscles that needed more work than he realized — just daring me to react.
And for a moment, I nearly did.
I was angry. I was tense. I was thinking about what I’d do if he followed me home.
He didn’t. But the adrenaline didn’t fade quickly. When I got home, I had work to do — blog post to write, art to reflect on — but I was distracted. The spark I had earlier felt distant.
Then something happened. My cats greeted me. A kitten video popped up on my feed. I laughed.
And I realized: I was letting this guy steal something from me. My calm. My purpose. My night.
That’s when I remembered a quote I keep close:
“You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never a need to get worked up or to trouble your soul.”
— Marcus Aurelius
So I poured a bourbon, opened my MacBook, and reminded myself why I do what I do. To make art. To live on purpose. To move forward.
Sitting down to write - © Michael Warth
That guy? He’s just another person who needs to feel power by holding others back. We meet them everywhere — on the road, at work, in life. They get their strength from our reaction.
Don’t give them that power.
Artists — stay in your lane. Let them burn their fuel chasing ghosts. You’ve got work to do, a legacy to build, and your own road to follow.
I wanted to share this because I know how it feels when you are trying to get back to the studio to make art only to have your day wrecked by outside influences out of your control. But you know what? How you react to those external forces is your choice. I know it is easier said than done, but please, don’t let anyone steal your spark.
ABOUT THAT NEWSLETTER
It really is something new. Many years ago I would write a quarterly newsletter and print it out on quality paper. I’d stuff envelopes, stick on labels and stamps, and send them out. I enjoyed it more than I should have.
I’m really not sure why I stopped doing it. Perhaps it was the cost, maybe I thought it wasn’t important.
I decided to revive the newsletter in the form of “Letters From The Studio” and send it as an email. Easier for our busy lives, no need to clutter your mailbox at home, and no waste for the trash guy to collect.
In the past, I only mailed newsletters to collectors who purchased my work. But, I decided to drop some hints about it, and start fresh. I will probably have to upgrade to an email service like MailChimp soon to keep it all organized but for now, the system I am using works fine.
If you’d like to receive my monthly letters directly, simply send me an email by clicking here — I send them on the 7th of each month, always quietly, and always from the heart.
