Encouraging an Artist

First off, thanks Kevin Smith for the words of encouragement.

“There are plenty of “Why?” people in the world. Whenever you hit them with an idea, they start in with their bullshit.
“Why bother?”
“Why try that?”
“Why do you think you’re better than everyone else?”
“Why?”
To counteract this, simply surround yourself with folks who ask only “Why not?” As in …
“Wanna make a movie?”
“Sure. Why not?”
Remember: It costs nothing to encourage an artist, and the potential benefits are staggering. A pat on the back to an artist now could one day result in your favorite film, or the cartoon you love to get stoned watching, or the song that saves your life. Discourage an artist, you get absolutely nothing in return, ever. I’ve spent the better part of my career getting up after movies and encouraging potential artists in the audience to give it a shot, pointing to myself as proof that anybody can make their dreams come true. I don’t do this altruistically: I’m selfishly insuring that I have cool shit to watch one day by encouraging anybody to follow passions like film or storytelling.” - Kevin Smith

So, what does this mean? It means reach for the stars folks. Reach for the stars, and never let that go. Because we can achieve damned near anything. Encourage each other. Hell, in the words of Bill and Ted... Be excellent to each other.