Not everything is meaningful, but everything can be full of meaning

Artists, not every single piece of art, or song that you sing will have a “deep” or thought-provoking meaning.

Some of us need to hear this because we start creating or writing from an opinion that everything must be deeply profound. If everything we say is deeply profound, then perhaps we are not actually being very self-aware.

Should every meal we eat be a Michelin-star level feast, or do we sometimes need a fried egg and a piece of buttered toast? The basic things of this world can be deeply profound. Butter and bread can easily make a person weep if it is prepared with great care, and if the hungry person has been without a good piece of bread. There is a profound beauty in the Michelin star meal when the maker has such high level skill, and when we reserve this experience for the “time of our lives.”

Both of these things have their time and place of course. Where it all breaks down is when we assume our every piece of work must be “deep and meaningful” by our own ignorant definition. We must serve the work, and we must serve the people. We should ask ourselves if we are in season or out of season? Is it time to revisit an old technique or lean into our next great idea? Is it time for a pregnant pause?

Taking regular rest from our work will show us what kind of head space we are in. Stop trying to make everything so profound and meaningful, and just focus on making good, authentic work. Not every song you write will be your biggest hit. Not every painting you make will be a masterpiece, but someone out there will probably love it, and each work you create will lead to another one.