ARTICLE: Follow Your Bliss

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Article originally appeared May 2, 2013 on Bubblews website which no longer exists

I would like to share here part of the quote by Joseph Campbell which will explain what "Follow Your Bliss" means:

"“Follow your bliss.


If you do follow your bliss,


you put yourself on a kind of track


that has been there all the while waiting for you,


and the life you ought to be living


is the one you are living."

I first came across of the notion of "Follow Your Bliss" during the PBS series "The Power Of Myth" way back in 1988 which featured of course Joseph Campbell and also had Bill Moyers. And what does "Follow Your Bliss" exactly mean?

In a nutshell, it means follow what is in your heart, to strive for the life you wish to have even if it may be considered unconventional or not accepted by others, especially family members who can be the toughest to "please". I can give a direct personal example of what I mean.

I was one of those children that was considered a "gifted" child, I demonstrated skills and talents at a very early age, especially in the artistic and creative fields. My mother was artistically talented herself and was a skilled artist who loved to do oil paintings and even had some of her work displayed in local gallery exhibits. As a child, I would watch with complete fascination as she painted on of her creations. One day I asked if I could do an oil painting, and I supposed to keep me amused, handed some of her oil paints and a canvas board, she then set up a still life for me to try to capture and paint. I did, and at the mere age of eight years old did my first still life oil painting. In later years I would continue to paint off and on in oils, but also in acrylic and watercolor paints.

I wasn't limited to painting however, as I had also studied as a child ballet and developed a love for the whole expression of the dance world. ah, but there again, wasn't even limited to that, as during my junior high school years learned to play violin, I would later on, in my high school years learned to play guitar, first on a classical guitar, then later got an electric guitar. Oh the visions of grandeur I had, as I saw myself as a "rock star"!! Then in college I even tinkered around with electronic music as I was a fan of the rock group, Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Now throughout my childhood and teenage years, my mother never exactly discouraged me in my artistic pursuits, but neither did she encourage them either, interpretation, I didn't exactly get support, yet I still pursued my creativity nonetheless; it was my "bliss". She especially didn't encourage me when I became interested in yet another creative field: acting.

My interest in the acting field came about when I accompanied one of my high school friends where she was involved with and a character in a play called "The Bluebird". She wanted company as often the rehearsals ended very late at night and she didn't want to be alone coming home on the subway, so I went with her. It was there I became mesmerized by the whole "process" of acting…the rehearsals, the constructing of props, etc. To pass the time and so I wasn't idle, I often helped out with the scenic design and props. Bingo I was hooked. I not only then decided to take a course in drama and acting while still in high school, but I also took a few courses at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.

You have to realize that I was always a very shy person, so for me to even think of consider the idea of being on stage, acting and being in front of an audience I must have been out of my mind, but I loved it, so much so, when I was approaching the idea of going to college, guess what my major was? Yes, drama.

Looking back I realize of course my decision to be a "mere" drama major must have gone over like a lead balloon with my mother. Since I also had been a science geek, I think she was hoping that I would pursue some scientific field and become a female Einstein, or if not that, then to follow the tradition she and my grandmother had as far as careers…secretarial. I think in a last ditch effort to get me away from my acting goals, she set up an interview with the bank she worked for. One of the things I had to do during the interview was to take a typing test, and I had been a very skilled typist while in high school. Well my subconscious mind must have kicked in that, no, this was not what I wanted in life. Deep inside and inwardly I knew, that no, I just plain didn't wanted a "career" as a secretary in a bank. What was the result? Instead of passing the typing test with flying colors, I bungled and failed miserably. Needless to say I wasn't accepted or given a job.

So now I'm in college (years 1973~1977), and yes did become a Drama major and earned my BA in Drama. With the world of drama it wasn't just acting I fell in love with, but scenic design. I think had I continued to purse the world of drama, I might have actually gone the scenic design route instead, and who knows, maybe I would've been eventually doing CG Special Effects for movies. Ah, but then yet another creative art form came into view: photography an art form I still do to this day so many years later.

The point of sharing my mini-autobiography here, is that even though I never became a famous artist, dancer, musician, actress, or scenic designer, I was following my "bliss"--I was doing what made me happy, what made my life feel complete, instead of following the trend of my mother and grandmother. And even after all these years, I'm still hoping to be a recognized photographer and/or writer. Oh did I mention I'm also a writer too? I've done numerous short stories, and the beginnings of several novels. And yes, if I ever get one of those novels ever finished hope to be recognized as a writer, for writing is also my "bliss".

Here is Joseph Campbell's full version of "Follow Your Bliss" which can be viewed here:

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/143093-follow-your-bliss-if-you-do-follow-your-bliss-you

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/143093-follow-your-bliss-if-you-do-follow-your-bliss-you

“Follow your bliss.


If you do follow your bliss,


you put yourself on a kind of track


that has been there all the while waiting for you,


and the life you ought to be living


is the one you are living.


When you can see that,


you begin to meet people


who are in the field of your bliss,


and they open the doors to you.


I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid,


and doors will open


where you didn't know they were going to be.


If you follow your bliss,


doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.”