It disturbs me to hear someone say that something (or someone!) is high maintenance. It’s the same as saying that it’s only a short matter of time until they drop whatever it is, (or who!).
Humans are naturally inclined to create, to stack blocks on top of each other – you don’t have to show a kid how to play, they just do.
But you do have to show a kid how to put those blocks away, to take care of them, to clean and nurture them.
Anything we create is not too different from the blocks to the kids, yet we decide that if the blocks are too high maintenance, we would rather not have them to begin with.
This prevents creation, prevents you from building, prevents art.
Kurt Vonnegut once wrote, “Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance.”
To hell with too much maintenance – that’s the most exciting art. That’s the most thrilling challenge, the greatest emotional-sociological-psychological roller coaster ride. Those moments of high maintenance are the ones you will look back on and not need anyone to thank you for the work you did… you will thank yourself.
And that is a feeling that just can’t be beat.
Stay Positive & Perpetuate Your Art
Garth E. Beyer
