What’s your favoUrite flavoUr… of shit sandwich? or would you prefer cake?
It’s still hard to accept but wanting to live an creative life, sometimes you have to be willing to eat a SHIT sandwich, as Elizabeth Gilbert wrote in her Big Magic book, and then ask yourself….
“What’s your favorite flavor of shit sandwich?” What Manson means is that every single pursuit—no matter how wonderful and exciting and glamorous it may initially seem—comes with its own brand of shit sandwich, its own lousy side effects. As Manson writes with profound wisdom: “Everything sucks, some of the time.” You just have to decide what sort of suckage you’re willing to deal with. So the question is not so much “What are you passionate about?” The question is “What are you passionate enough about that you can endure the most disagreeable aspects of the work?” Manson explains it this way: “If you want to be a professional artist, but you aren’t willing to see your work rejected hundreds, if not thousands, of times, then you’re done before you start. If you want to be a hotshot court lawyer, but can’t stand the eighty-hour workweeks, then I’ve got bad news for you.” Because if you love and want something enough—whatever it is—then you don’t really mind eating the shit sandwich that comes with it.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
But what about a SHIT CAKE you ask? …
Sometimes disappointments feel larger than a sandwich and they feel more more like a SHIT cake. For example: yesterday. I applied for the Vancouver Mural Festival and for the third time I didn’t get in! I’ve heard rumours you have to apply four times but honestly I think they’re just rumours. After the initial sting and distasteful first bite of this particular SHIT cake, I’ve asked myself, what do I need to grow and learn for a better outcome next time? This is what I came up with:
WRITING: Perhaps my application could have been stronger. So reached out to Leah Kent, a writing coach I met through the Content Cultivation Course with Rebecca Van Damm.
MORE EXPERINCE: This was a great wake up call and lit a fire under my butt. I’ve pulled out a big old piece of plywood to practice on. I’m on my way to pick up hooks to mount it on our kid’s old wood playset.
Last fall my generous friend Kam used her Cricut Maker to cut out my stencils after I told her about an unfortunate run in with the owner of a local sign shop, who I don’t think likes women very much. Sorry, my money will not be spent with you, if you’re going to insult me and only talk to my husband. BU-bye! Anyhow I let life get busy. The weather changed to winter, BUT NOW the weather is getting great for painting outside! There’s nothing stopping me from practicing! Can you hear my spray cans clanging as I shake them?!
I DO NEED ANOTHER WALL: Dear Universe, I would like another wall to do another mural on pretty please. I understand my journey may not be a straight shot, and I’m okay with that. I’m happy to find my own wall again. If you could just point me in the right direction or if you know of anyone who would like their wall painted please point them my way.
In the mean time I have already reached out to a potential wall I had been meaning to follow up on. They seemed pretty open but I have to remember, it took Dressew from March to January to follow up and ask me.
PATIENCE: ugh! Fine.
TRUST: The next wall will come and it will be as impactful as Dressew mural was to their community.
In the meantime as those things line up, I will use this SHIT cake that was made for my father-in-law’s birthday. My mother-in-law is celiac and made this gluten free carrot cake. To quote my husband, “it looks like the icing is even trying to get off the cake!”.
Now, are you wondering why do we have candles that say SHIT? Don’t you?! Doesn’t everyone?! Ha, aha, ha!!! Actually I made a full gluten chocolate cake for my father in law and it had candles on it that said, “U R Old”. After we laughed about the carrot cake it seemed only appropriate to add the SHIT the candles to it. Who knew the photo I took of it would become a great reminder 3 days later that, yes, yes I do want the SHIT cake! I want ALL the SHIT cake and I will eat another and an another and a… well, you get the idea.