There's no great muse

And the great muse alas, isn't what you thought it was. It's not that glamorous. It's the paint underneath your fingernails, the varnish on your shoes, the dirty desk you work at every day. It's the same old apron that just keeps getting more covered with your paint love stains. That's what it is. It's not that glamorous.

If you think it's glamorous, stick to illusions and TV. It's not art. It's just not. It's dirty, it's hard, it's challenging... but it's yours, and that's priceless.

I think the muse is just having the opportunity to be yourself. It can come in any way, shape or form. You can see a magazine photo, a picture from some trip, or simply, the water bottle on your table. All of which can be equally inspiring, equally viable for your piece of fine art. I think it's all about the work. The daily grind, the getting up and getting to it no matter how you feel. Because it's not glamorous, it never will be.

Trust me. It's not. Who do you think you are to have some great muse? You have to work. Then if you get lucky, it all comes together without you really having to think. That's the best we can hope for. That's the goal, the reward and ultimately what you'll have.

I would give up everything I have simply for these moments. They are the most rewarding and the most genuine. I'm bringing sincerity to the art world. I'm bringing simplicity to this great big life. I'm bringing myself forward. That's all I have to do.

The rest is irrelevant.

What inspires me? Everything. The life I live, the people I meet, my journey, through movie theaters, parks, grocery stores, anywhere, everything, it's all valid. It's all useful. It's my world. I created it.

There's no great muse. Quit looking. Wake up to who you are, what you have, where you are in this moment right here and right now. Then get busy, get dirty, make a mess! That's where the life is, in the struggle, in the figuring out, and if you get lucky, it comes together. That's where ultimately, the magic is, in the work, every day.

There's no great muse. It's simple. All around you, the art is all around you.