Consistency, Cons-Misstence Me With That Over-Simplified, Rigid Life Hack

I have no idea what to write about this week. I may be plumb-out of ideas. 

Oh no, I'm gonna break my writing streak. Ah ok, let's see...

Hmm? Right. something, something, art is a vehicle for transformation. That's been covered. uhhh... consistency, focus... burn the boats or whatever. Um, yeah that's all been done to death.

Ya know what? I'm actually gonna have to pick on consistency. Fuck you, consistency. With your rigid ass.

And nuance can kick rocks for a minute, too.

Consistency is the most over-hyped quality we give to a person. Consistency—especially when it means nothing new to say or offer—is overrated.

There's also a big survivorship bias in the consistency we see celebrated. Every successful person seems consistent. But there are plenty of abject failures that are consistent too. So I wanna tease apart this concept.

Here’s the thing: If you’re consistently coughing up the exact same viewpoint, the same approach, the same little package of thoughts, emotions and behaviors—well, congratulations: you’ve succeeded at stagnation. You’re reliable. You’re stable. You’re predictable. And probably not growing.

Quotes- because what's a blog post without them?

"Just keep showing up"

"Consistency is key" 

"Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success."

Oh? No shit?

You're saying if you just keep working on something eventually it'll be successful? Wow, what an incredible insight from on high. Thank you, The Rock. (that last one is a direct quote)

This idea that if you just work hard enough everyday, you will reach your goal- isn't necessarily true. You can be grinding your gears and getting nowhere because there's a fundamental misalignment between you and that goal.

But because society has told you to value consistency over all else, you're not making progress.

For instance, let's say I wanna make money playing a sport. Let's keep this hypothetical in the realm of possibility and say disc golf. 

I can grind everyday for years (at 40 years old) and never make it pro. Why? Because it's just not in the cards at this point. I like disc golf. I've been playing for over 2 decades and only gotten slightly better. It's not natural for me. 

Ok let's make it even more real and vulnerable. And, keeping with the theme of this post, I'm going to contradict what I said last week a little. 

I want to grow my business. That's my goal. I think, hey if I just keep showing up and making great art, eventually someone will notice me and buy all my paintings. 

And this might work. It also might be a trap to stay obscure and looking for side jobs all the time. 

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results" -Rita Mae Brown (NOT Einstein, I just learned.)

"Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative" - Oscar Wilde

There's a big flaw in this simple way of thinking. Because what happens when a new, more powerful, truer, exciting or innovative viewpoint or habit drops into your lap? You won't even see it. You've put consistency on this pedestal and are ploughing your way to nowhere.

The formula for success isn't a clean and neat template. It's a meandering and complex fractal that emanates from you as a person. In fact, I don't know if there is a 'formula'.

So, the next time your hear a billionaire on a podcast telling you to be consistent with their morning routine, consider that you need to be sure your personality is aligned to the thing you're trying to accomplish first. We need to take into account our changing world and our ever evolving selves.

You're not who you were yesterday. 

Ok, Nuance. You can come back in.

Yes, consistency can be useful. If you're plugging away at a project you believe in, staying focused and being consistent in taking care of yourself- that is a good thing. Duh, that's obvious. 

But sometimes we cling to routines that aren't working, or a relationship that has run it's course, or an ideology that doesn't serve our highest good.

The reasons we cling to consistency are simple: It's comforting. It's predictable. And that makes our animal brains feel safe. The world is a buzzing chaos without the order we impose on it. 

And order is good... until it's not. It can be wielded and manipulated (like most concepts) into an oppressive force over the way we see and experience the world.

Consistency without accepting and adapting to the changes that are constant in life, becomes toxic. Change is messy and unpredictable and truly adapting to those changes takes more nuance (there it is!) and flexibility than consistency- for it's own sake- can offer.

Ok, let's take this value, consistency, and place it where it makes more sense. By the way, values aren't arranged in a hierarchy, there isn't one that is "on top" and rules over all the others. I mean, I guess if you want to think like a shit-throwing ape that hasn't adapted to the world around you, it could be a hierarchy.  But, I think it's more helpful to conceive of values  more like an engineering schematic. The parts need to work together to power the vehicle through the complexity that is life. 

Anyway... Let's feed consistency into the understanding of a changing world and an evolving self. Ok, so if we put that there...

What if consistency meant showing up with curiosity, allowing an open mind, not being afraid to try new tactics, being dedicated to learning and growing? 

That's the kind of consistency I fuck with. Consistently updating my beliefs, frameworks, and paradigm. That's a full body yes from my creative brain.

Now, the way my mind works, is; whenever there is an idea that I say yes to, it produces the opposite or inverse. It's my monkey brain, trying to protect me.

"It's easier to maintain and keep your head down, you don't want to be criticized or judged online. People feel safe around someone predictable. No one will buy your work if they don't know what to expect."

And yes, it's easier to stay small and predictable and safe. But, as I mentioned, I'm 40 and fed up with playing it safe. People will judge no matter what and it's none of my business what anyone thinks. 

Art demands a lot more than just a tired clone of sameness, attempting to keep our precious little egos from experiencing some discomfort. It demands responsiveness and asks us to shift our perspective, demands that we discover new ways of expressing, being, showing and doing. 

And if we do that- yes, we're still being consistent! Consistently evolving is far more appropriate than consistently working for work's sake. 

Ok, consistency. Welcome back.

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As always, thanks for your support and attention! I wouldn't be able to make this art career work without you.