Hidden in shadows,
Desperate to be seen,
Longing to be heard,
Yearning to fill the void
That fuels every
Fear-soaked thought.
So long admiring the spotlight.
So long just begging to be loved.
So long wishing I was the hero.
When will it be my turn?
The eyes start to notice.
The mouths start to speak.
The heads start to turn.
The light I have fought so hard for
Now glares behind the screen
My soul projects my dreams onto.
The curtain starts to draw.
Applause roars within my heart.
Is this the time?
Will the wings I have fly?
Will the darkness be swept away
As soon as the leap is taken?
Practice, practice, practice.
All I have done is practice.
What to do, what to say,
How to look, how to think.
Scrutinized as hard as I
Scrutinize the words before me.
Desperate to find the beauty in pain,
And more scared than anything
That I never will.
Andrew J. Stillman | The Artist Mindset 