Abundance vs. Scarcity

I dated a man who was a sculptor. He was finishing one sculpture and had ideas brewing for his next. The message of the next piece was to be a provocative question surrounding guns. He would need parts and pieces of guns for his work. I enlisted myself as a fellow gun-parts-scavenger. 

Since it wasn't typical to find gun parts readily for sale at antique shops and resale stores, especially where we were living in California, I was going to ask some people I knew to help me out. I asked my boyfriend if he minded that I told people what his art piece was going to be. I was fearful of sharing his idea and having someone take it.

When I asked him, he looked at me questioningly. This look was quite common between us due to a language barrier, but this time he had understood exactly what I was asking. I was being protective of his idea and didn’t want others to steal it. He told me in his own words that ideas don't belong to him. Ideas are not to hoard and protect. Their purpose is connection. If ten people have the same idea, their expression will come out differently based on the individuality and unique talents of the artist. He said to tell anyone and everyone, the more thought-provoking art existing in the world, the better. 

This perspective blew my mind. I had been operating from a spirit of scarcity, thinking that great ideas were apparently for a chosen few and needed to be guarded so other people wouldn’t do them first. His answer shot holes through the foundation of my understanding (to use a gun metaphor).

This new perspective of abundance as opposed to scarcity changed my whole outlook on ideas and art. It was "just" a perspective shift that day, then I started to notice when I was making decisions from a scarcity-mindset which translated to fear, protection, control, and the need to be first. As I became aware, I was able to shift my thinking to an abundance mindset which translated to acting in love, generosity, freedom, and lifting up others.

I had to consciously choose to act from a spirit of abundance with love and generosity. Not that it was easy. It was hard. And the feelings of scarcity were still there at first.

But the difference of choosing to act in love and generosity was astounding.

It takes effort to change perspectives and actions. I still struggle with it at times, but less and less and less.

What I've learned from operating out of a spirit of abundance is that there is so much freedom! Freedom of expression without the constriction of fear that I have to finish an idea before someone else does it. Freedom to share ideas with others and actually encourage them to make art. Freedom to lift up others and enjoy their wins. There is freedom of releasing my art into the world without the concern of acceptance from everyone because my tribe will connect with my art and there are many different (abundant) tribes out there! There is freedom to enjoy the process of creating without the drive for comparison because it is not a competition for one artist to win. Abundance means every artist can be good in their own way. Abundance means similar artists can stand beside each other and all can be amazing. 

I've also found that what I tend to be in the little things, I am in all things. For example, if I'm protective of my art ideas, it stems from something deeper than my art. It stems from the spirit of scarcity. From that foundation of scarcity I see life, not just art, with scarce opportunity (so I need to fight for my place), scarce approval (so I need to be noticed over others), scarce winners (so I have to try to be the best), scarce talent (so if others are “better”, my talent doesn’t count), etc. Living in that spirit generates fear, competition, feeding ego and deciding I've lost before I even try. 

In contrast, the spirit of abundance in life looks like being confident in my own uniqueness and standing fully in my own being whether I have a leading role or supporting role. It looks like following my instincts with enthusiasm and joy whether they’re popular or unpopular. It looks like releasing my art into the world with confidence that it’s authentic and that is enough. Abundance looks like encouraging myself and others, celebrating myself and others, connection with self and others, empathy for myself and others, asking for support and supporting others.

Doesn't living in a spirit of abundance feel expansive just thinking about it?! It's so beautiful, strong and wild! 

May we all be beautiful, strong and wild. 

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Creating makes me feel alive. I want you to experience that same vibrancy!