READING, WRITING and SKETCHING from Robert Greene's "Mastery," while transcribing Richard Williams' "Animation Survival Guide," mimicking Mickey from a 'Dole' celery wrapper commemorating ninety years of redefining global entertainment and aping a logo from a skater brand, Volcom — a derivative of Vulcan — the crippled Roman smith god who captured passionate War (Ares) and adulterous Beauty (Aphrodite) in an unbreakable net personifying the role of art in visual metaphor.
I finished Greene's "Mastery" enjoying the closing statement on following that "still, small voice that says, 'This might work, I'll try it'" according to Diane Mariechild. Here's my paraphrase:
Not striving for mastery leads to feelings of powerlessness and disappointment. This leads to enslavement of the FALSE SELF — accumulation of voices of conformity — parents, friends, society and ego to adhere to seductive values. EGO protects from unflattering truth and speaks lucidly, "Mastery is for geniuses, the lucky. It's immoral and ugly only for ambitious and egotistical. Accept your lot. It's too hard, why bother with pain?" EGO LIES — mastery isn't genetic or luck but following natural inclination of deep desire WITHIN. Not motivated by egotism or sheer ambition for power; emotions blocking mastery. Instead it's a deep expression of something natural marking you at birth as unique. Follow this INCLINATION to climb to mastery and contribute to society, enriching it with discovery and insight while making the most of the diversity of nature.
The height of SELFISHNESS is consumption of what others create and retreating in a shell of limited goals and immediate pleasure. Alienating from inclination leads to long-term pain and disappointment for trashing uniqueness expressed in bitterness and envy as the taproot of depression.
TRUE SELF doesn't speak in banality. It comes from DEEP WITHIN — from the substrata of psyche, embedded physically WITHIN YOU — emanating uniqueness through sensation and powerful desire that seems to transcend you. It's unknowable why you're drawn to certain activities or forms of knowledge. It can't be verbally explained — it's simply a fact of nature. Follow this voice to realize your potential satisfying your deep longing to create and express your uniqueness. It exists for a purpose — it's your LIFE'S TASK to bring it to FRUITION.
— Robert Greene (paraphrase)