We recently connected with Joshua Meyer and have shared our conversation below.
Joshua, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I love the conversation about creativity because it goes so much deeper than what we generally understand. To me, to be human is to be creative. It’s the essence of life, love, and flow. If we are feeling a block, it’s a sign of an imbalance somewhere in our lives. I believe that creativity comes from an unending source, so it’s more about not blocking it than keeping it alive. This unending source is passionate about creating! The ideas that want to come forth are begging to be given life and we simply have to quiet ourselves enough to let them be born.
However, how do we do that when there are so many distractions and motivations trying to ensure our survival? I’ll be the first to admit that the struggle is real! I’m starting to understand that to the level that I let go and trust the process more magic happens. Not only having the experience of the idea entering my being, but also the act of bringing it into reality is unlike any other. To be less concerned about how others will receive it and more interested in just being myself, allows an incredible freedom and power to exist. That to me is where the good stuff is.
So, to finally answer the question of how to keep creativity alive, I personally find that serious self-care must be a huge part of my daily life. If I’m not tuned into myself and I am trying to operate in an unbalanced state, it’s just not going to happen. I personally need nature and play. Even though I absolutely love being in my forge, studio, and working hard, if I don’t give myself space to get outside to run, explore, play, be goofy, sit and ponder, and meditate and wander, then I get out of whack and it all crumbles. I constantly need to reground be intentional about slowing down, and reconnecting with myself. To me, this is where the work is, and when I’m diligent about it, everything else in my life flows.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I was born on the South Pacific island of Papua New Guinea. I now live in the mountains of Flagstaff Arizona, and I am thriving as a local artist and bladesmith. Specializing in creative and high-end pieces, I work in a variety of mediums offering custom blades, unique furniture, unforgettable blacksmithing classes, exquisite ink paintings, and sculptures.
Yes, I have a passion for art and creativity, but my purpose goes way deeper than that. Part of why I do what I do is because I hope to awaken the human spirit to be reinspired and to fully live! It disheartens me so much to witness the loss of potential and I see it every day both in adults that have gotten stuck in a rut of survival and even in kids that have already forgotten their magnificence!
I hope that through my open and honest journey, I can inspire others to have the courage to follow their hearts. I hope that through my workshops I can create a safe environment where people can be themselves and remember how amazing they are and how much the world needs their full light!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
There’s a lifetime of qualities, skills, and knowledge that have helped me get to where I am today, but I’d say that the foundation for everything else would have to be curiosity, courage, and authenticity.
As a kid, I was blessed to live in a jungle which was an environment full of awe, danger, adventure, and beauty. So to survive required an awareness both of my surroundings and of myself. I quickly gained confidence and a tenacity that empowered and inspired me to want more! I crave discoveries, challenges, and new experiences which I believe has partly directed the kind of diverse artist that I am.
Sure, I’ve worked hard on developing my skills both by just trying things on my own and learning from others, but all of that was fueled by an intense curiosity and passion to create beautiful things.
Being authentic has probably been the hardest battle to learn and I’m still trying to figure that one out, but I believe that is where my true potential really lies. My hope is to lean more and more into that as I continue to grow and embrace this journey!
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
I was always told to pick the onething I was the best at, and go all in. However, my soul would never let me limit myself like that. Sure, maybe that’s some good “logical” advice and has some credence for business success for some people, but no… not for this spirit who loves to experience ALL the arts and mediums.
In a world full of diversity doing only one thing would be absolute torture for me and goes against all that it means to be alive and be human. I had to listen to myself and go against what others thought was best for me and I’m a much happier person for it!
To me, it’s more about what makes your soul sing than anything else. I think our true strength lies in that, not in what we think we’re “good at”. I try to prioritize what excites me, and then I play in that realm and my skills naturally improve while I’m enjoying it!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://the-quench.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuameyerart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshuameyerart
Image Credits
I Joshua Meyer own or have taken all of the images provided.
