12:34 AM THOUGHTS: BY MEREDITH ILLIG

You can’t come into this class allowing the motivation of receiving an ‘A’ to drive you. Similarly, you can’t go into life allowing the motivation of money to drive you.

It’s gotta’ come from somewhere else. You’ve gotta’ find that spark…the spark that ignites you and turns your creative engine on. If you haven’t found that spark yet, I challenge you to dig deeper.

You’ll know when you find it. Perhaps you won’t be able to sleep, as in my case. Don’t settle for something that’s not your spark. Once you find that spark, your work will permeate into your life, and you might not be able to control it. That’s ok. It won’t be easy; it will be rewarding.

There will be some form of pain, whether that be confusion, stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, or the semblance of mental insanity. What should you do about this? Endure it. Let it eat at the core of you. Because this is where genius is born, where ideas hatch, and where creativity flourishes.

You’ve gotta’ wanna make a statement… a statement to express that spark. Again, let it devour you. Because the longer you allow it to, the longer you won’t be able to tolerate reality. And the longer you aren’t able to tolerate reality, the more you can dream, envision, and innovate.

Welcome chaos into your life, it’s a disguised gift with gems inside— if you so have the courage, curiosity, and drive to embark on the uncharted regions of your mind.