I found myself profoundly moved by Van Gogh’s story while visiting the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
No one creates in isolation (on an island or otherwise.) Van Gogh actively reached out to other artists, and had thoughts to set up a utopian art colony.
Lesson 2 of 3: Connecting with like-minded others.
Because I don’t work in a traditional office, it can be intellectually isolating. The fact that my interests lie in less common intersections of different domains exacerbates this isolation.
In this day and age, the majority of my professional connections are online and geographically disparate. Perhaps that is the modern day equivalent of a utopian colony. Technology and connectivity can only get better right?
The lesson I am practising is to keep reaching out and connecting with others, despite my default inclination to avoid meeting new people.
Like-minded and like-passioned others are out there. And like me, many of them are likely to also be looking for connections; because we all need people who get where we are coming from.
Here’s to talking shop over coffee. If you share my interests, get in touch!