Be a Masterpiece Not an Imposter

“The one who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. Those who walk alone are likely to find themselves in places no one has ever been before.”

Unknown

As kids we did everything in our power not to be different! As we got older, we began to realize the value of being different. We began to see the value of showing up authentically. But the path to being a Masterpiece is not as easy as it sounds. The process of stepping into it fully can be difficult, unsure and downright lonely. It might include not hanging out with people you’ve hung out with for years. Or choosing to distance yourself from family who show up as “Takers.” Realizing the value of being an original is one thing, but doing the work and using the right tools to become an original can be tough. There comes a time when the choice must be made, take a different path or stay on the current path and life as an imposter.  

 As people, we often see the value in others and attempt to create what we see in them. That only devalues the uniqueness that we have to offer the world. The magic happens when you can offer your unique creativity to the world. If not, you just become a copy of creativity. Every artist that is famous became famous because they created their unique Masterpiece. Van Gogh, Picasso and countless other artists are famous because they used the paint in a different way; they listened to the artist within, used their uniqueness and created their Authentic Masterpiece. One of the reasons that Starry Night by Van Gogh is so famous is because he was the first artist to paint this type of scene. Other painters during his time were only painting landscapes. He was also the first to use bright and heavy brushstrokes. If he had continued to do what others were doing, you might not be reading about him in this course.  

In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, one of the definitions of original is, “a person who is different from other people in an appealing or interesting way.” Everything about you has been designed.  You were not created to be anyone but YOU!  

We are all different and were created to be unique not a reproduced copy of someone else. Do you know why originals cost more? Because the artist thought about, prayed about and took the time to creating something that had never been done before. The artist is getting paid for the time, attention, and creativity put into crafting something new, a Masterpiece!

Do you know how people can tell the difference between an original Masterpiece and a reproduced copy?

1. The Foundation is different – the original starts out on a quality cotton or linen canvas. Often times the imposter is reproduced on paper or cardboard.  

2. The Texture is different – on the original you can feel the brush strokes and the texture of the paint. You can feel the way the paint colors overlap with one another. On a print of the original, the entire surface is flat, smooth and glossy.

3. The Back is different – on the original there are usually labels or stamps that tell the history of the galleries it has been displayed in. It’s an authentic view of what and where it has been through. Copies are often labeled as,” Copy” on the back.

4. The Signature – a signature by the creator on the original makes it a Masterpiece. That signature is the seal of authenticity that a copy can NEVER have. When you create something in sign it, it is worth two or three times as much as the copy of someone else.  

5. Forgery – When you copy something as your own

What makes you Unique?

Outline your hand with a pen or pencil.  Once finished write what makes you original or what is unique about you.

Your Unique Fingerprint

Let’s talk a little bit about how your fingerprints were formed. 

  Fingerprints are set in stone by 17 weeks.  

  Your fingerprints are influenced by blood pressure, oxygen levels in the blood, nutrition of the mother, hormone levels, the position of the fetus in the womb at certain times, the composition of the amniotic fluid, you get the point.  

  The entire process is so chaotic and dependent on the activity level of the fetus and the conditions of the womb, that there is virtually no chance of the exact pattern being formed twice.  

  Fingerprints are different on every finger of your hand, they’re different on the same fingers of the opposite hands and even fingerprints of identical twins are different from each other.  

  Fingerprints never change, so what you were born with is what you will always have.  The likelihood of having the same print is 1 in 64 billion.

You have been uniquely created, even down to your fingerprints. Be who you were created to be. Blend out not in!

.