Author Archives: thevsstudioblog

If it were as easy and straightforward as paint by numbers, we’d all be Van Gogh’s. Art is hard. It’s messy. It’s not linear. And it might not work. Do it anyway.

“I went into photography because it seemed like the perfect vehicle for commenting on the madness of today’s existence…Sell the public flowers–things that they can hang on their walls without being uptight.” – Robert Mapplethorpe “He wasn’t certain whether he was a good or bad person. Whether he was altruistic. Whether he was demonic. ButContinue reading “Triggered”

“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” -Nelson Mandela Wrath and anger are hateful things,yet the sinner hugs them tight. – Sirach 27:30 “Mankind is born for mutual assistance, anger for mutual ruin: the former loves society, the latter estrangement.” -Seneca, Essay On Anger “Fear is the path toContinue reading “Anger…And Forgiveness”

“If you need to be proven right, learning is a challenge. If you’re eager to be proven wrong, learning is delightful.” -Seth Godin “Strong opinions. Weakly held.” -Marc Andreessen Yes, you absolutely need the vision, the belief, the conviction, to start your passion project. But you also need to be open-minded to new information youContinue reading “Prove Me Wrong”

“Faced with a choice between changing one’s mind and proving there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy with the proof.” -J.K. Galbraith “The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be madeContinue reading “Why Facts Don’t Change Our Minds”

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” -Teddy Roosevelt The best athletewants his opponent at his best.The best generalenters the mind of his enemy.The best businessmanserves the communal good.The best leaderfollows the will of the people. All of them embodythe virtue of non-competition.Not that they don’t love to compete,but they do it in the spirit ofContinue reading “Healthy Competition”

“All the world’s a stage,And all the men and women merely players” -from the play As You Like It by William Shakespeare “Everything’s copy.” -Nora Ephron “Each of us has a container within. It is constantly being filled with data. It holds the sum total of our thoughts, feelings, dreams, and experiences in the world.Continue reading “Source Material”

“I will listen to anyone’s convictions, but pray keep your doubts to yourself.” -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe If you’re not fully convinced in what you have to offer, then why would you expect anyone else to come to your show, by your product or invest in your business? You can have your doubts at firstContinue reading “Conviction”

When mountains crumble to the seaThere will still be you and me -song, “Thank You” by Led Zeppelin “How long must you wait until you demand the best of yourself.” -Epictetus “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” –The Wizard Of Oz by L. Frank Baum Institutional validation is a powerful thing. UntilContinue reading “Behind The Curtain”

“Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.” – Gustave Flaubert “We’re interested in (and give our attention to) lots of different kinds of people…funny, serious, contemplative, unlikable, talented, clumsy, innovative, annoying, sensitive, naive, confident, rebellious…The one none of us have time for is boring.”Continue reading “Beware Of Boring”