Masterpiece

The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize.

-Robert Hughes

I have far more questions now in my forties, than I did in my teens and twenties—when I was convinced of so many things. Robert Hughes, an art-critic and writer, was referring here specifically to the artistic process, but I think there is something here for all of us.

Doubt can be frightening. Questions can leave us unsettled. To be convinced of something is, in many ways, much easier. But then we might be limiting ourselves from living fully—exploring new passions or dreams, challenging our ideas about ourselves, and maybe opening ourselves to new relationships.

Whether you are an artist or not, that which makes us feel most alive is that which is most authentic—not that which we copy or follow. That is the consolation prize Hughes speaks of. But rather, it is through doubt and questioning and venturing into the uncharted territories of our hearts and minds, that we create the masterpieces of our lives.