I feel to be human is to be an artist.  You don't need to be engrossed in the arts like a painter, an actor, a writer, or a musician.  Every human is an artist on their own accord.  We are all writing our own stories.  Every person has the same set of artist tools as the next person.  A mind, a heart, and a spirit.  We all compose our own lives either consciously or unconsciously on the canvas of life.  Our brains are our palette, a place that holds all the colors and a space to mix our ideas.  Our thoughts are like colorful brush strokes in our mind and our experiences are the limitless combinations of those splashes of color.  We can paint with bright vivid thoughts or dull somber thoughts.  Our hearts help mold the intensity of the colors and the honesty of our emotions control the shades at any given moment.  As our hearts flicker in lightness and darkness, so does the mood of our masterpiece.  Our spirits know if we're working on an abstract experience, a surreal moment, or an impressionistic leg of our life's journey.  Energy is the pigment of our colors and serves as the source of our creativity.  Imagination runs on energy and is the life blood which nourishes our soul.

A few years ago I had a spiritual awakening which truly transformed my life. This happened to me at a time when I was at a cross roads with my art career and also with life.  I had been a self employed artist for almost 10 years at this point and I barely had two pennies to rub together.  I was unsatisfied inside and I knew there was more to life but I didn't know how to get there, wherever there was.  I won't get into the particulars of what happened, but it was as if time stood still and I could finally breathe with fresh new air in my lungs. I was experiencing a form of hyper sensitivity, so when I looked at the world, colors appeared more vibrant, food tasted better, sounds become more clear, and smells became more potent.  At the same time I was walking down the street I could hear the birds chirping in the air, wind blowing through the trees, cars screeching down the road, a conversation of a couple ahead of me, and the smell of burning firewood in the distance.  It was almost as if I was finally getting a glimpse of what life was truly all about and the pathway of love and gratitude was the key to opening this door of abundance.  I was completely immersed in the present moment where thoughts of the past and future couldn't harm me.  It was pure bliss and immediately I knew that I was in control of my own destiny.  I wasn't just roaming the earth on autopilot anymore.  I was awake and more consciously aware of myself.  I had a deeper understanding of how the universe worked, how I was connected to everyone and everything, and how my energy and feelings were responsible for attracting all of my experiences into my reality.

I don't expect everyone to understand my experience, but the reason I tell you about this awakening is because it lead to me discovering my life's purpose and the mantra in which I pursue the arts and my life every day.  I believe every person at some point in their life should have their own personal mission statement which helps guide them through life.  For the first 10 years that I was a self employed artist I never had one.  I was pursuing my art career blindly and was sort of "going through the motions" with life so to speak.  I pursued the arts because I passively felt I had a knack for it and I believed I was meant to do something artistic, but I didn't know "Why" I was doing it.  As my acting coach says, "Why" isn't something you can describe or even put into words.  It is a feeling and something that only your heart can answer.  When I realized that my purpose in life was to add value to the world, in whatever form I decided, my mindset shifted and I readjusted my focus to align with the "Why" in my heart. 

"The purpose of my life is to humbly love, serve, and inspire humanity through my creative power, artistic expression, and infinite energy."  This is my personal "Why" statement and what fuels me to get out of bed everyday.  This statement is what picks me up when I'm depressed, pushes me forward when I hit a snag in the road, and clears my mind when negative thoughts arise.  I chose to live a life full of love and to spread that love to as many people as possible.  My artwork is truly a window into my soul and is the highest expression of who I am as a person.  I know because that is what my heart is telling me.

-JJ Long