I wanted to discuss a bit about creating a masterpiece but a masterpiece of a different kind. I’m referring to your creativity. I have been thinking quite a lot about what legendary college basketball’s coach John Wooden was often fond of saying:

Make every day your masterpiece

Of course, there is the play on the word masterpiece but it goes a lot deeper than that. For me, it’s about focus. It’s about making today (which is made up of a bunch of tiny moments) the ONLY thing we focus on.

Too many times (And I am MOST definitely included in this group) we always seem to be waiting – to be in a holding pattern for something to come along or happen. We’re waiting until we acquire more skills or have more confidence or can find some extra money or make just a few more social network contacts who will expose the greatness in us.

And a lot of this is never really conscious it really just a record groove or pattern that we have gotten used to. And patterns can be changed – that’s the good news.

But back to making every day your masterpiece. I encourage you to play around with this thought. In everything you do (and certainly in your art) stay present. Don’t worry about “The Future” just this day.

Focusing and worrying about the future is so ingrained in so many people that it is hard to see for yourself. You don’t even know your doing it.

For me, I had a coach help me through this (which is a great way to really make serious progress in your life) but there are other ways as well, like: monitoring and heightening your awareness where you will soon be able to catch glimpses of where your thoughts habitually “live.”

Say to yourself “Just for today I am going to go all out. I am going to bring everything to bear on this (in this example) work of art. I will leave nothing behind. All will be revealed. Today is the best I will ever have”

You will be creative in all aspects of your day. It won’t be a flatline line existence. You will rise up and above with creative thinking and action. The focus will be creating (not reacting) all day long.

How often do we actually do that? I dare say – not much. But it’s a practice. Something to do regularly. For me, anyway, this was a true mindshift. What it did was allow me to slow down and really focus on a few things. My productivity and energy really skyrocketed as I was no longer diffusing my energy but focusing it with laser-like precision.

It’s just one day. You are born in the morning and you pass away at night. That’s it. Today (and only today) is your opportunity for the greatness IN you.

Image Above:Roy Lichtenstein: Brushstroke Still Life with Lamp, 1997
Screen-printed oil based enamel ink and hand-painted magna on a honey comb-core aluminum panel in artist’s wooden frame.
49 1/2 x 68 in. (125.7 x 172.7 cm)