For as long as I can remember I’ve turned my nose up at anything that involves losing authenticity. “Fake it till you make it,” to me, has meant “don’t be yourself.” I would hear that and defy it as much as possible, turning up the volume on my opinions and fighting the status quo.
And yet…
Do you feel there is validity in faking it? At least in some rare cases?
As an artist I dig deep into the human condition, always getting curious about truthful experiences and reflecting my findings back to audiences. The reflection process can be a transformative process, leading to important realizations and real change. Hence my resistance to anything “fake”. I want to remain open to those glimpses of the genuine by being authentic myself.
There can, however, be times when we fake things on the outside and feel our truths on the inside. Sometimes it’s simply not worth our energy to reveal everything all at once. Some people can’t be trusted with our purest selves, and we therefore shouldn’t feel obliged to show it to them. Everyone deserves kindness and respect. Everyone is owed clarity and empathy. But not everyone needs to bear witness to all of the beauty contained within.
Even as I type this I wonder if it’s true… But perhaps it’s good advice for artists to learn when to get fully honest. It could be the case that if we are always seeking authenticity we may wear ourselves thin. Artists are so often searching for truth, and that quest can be reflected in how we carry ourselves. But it’s easy to get exhausted when we’re met with folks or situations who can’t embrace our honesty and all the exquisiteness that comes with it.
So I’m going to try fine tuning my instinct to be open and vulnerable to all the elements. Some people just deserve the basics, not the full, beautiful package.
luke brown 