Lessons from the Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is very astute in his approach to self-development and I’ll tell you why- he knows that he needs to fill himself up before he can become beautiful. He has no real issues with which is the appropriate food, he just eats and eats.

Right at the end he has a bit of a leaf just to balance things out a bit and that’s fine. He feels much better. It really doesn’t matter what came before because he’s now in his cocoon and things are on the up.

Culture is like that- so many people think they have to consume the right sort of writing or art to be an artist, as if having a head full of avant-garde poetry or the novels of dead Russian men can help to make your own work authentic. What many forget is that everything is culture- your garden for instance is an ever-changing art gallery. 

The only tedious part of ‘traditional’ culture is the middle-brow. So called low-brow books and TV shows are often the easiest to consume which puts people off as they think it reflects badly on them- as if they are going to catch simplicity. However, there are many shiny human moments to be had within these modes of expression that should not be overlooked.

High-brow art is also fun, silly really- if we can respond honestly to it. It is good to remember that galleries are not churches, there is no reverence required. It’s OK to say something is boring, even when everyone seems to love it. Art films can be wonderful but are often just someone showing off for an hour or seven. Nevertheless, some of it is the richest, most rewarding stuff you’ll ever interact with.

Fill yourself up indiscriminately and don’t let anyone put you down for it. Limiting yourself culturally is a surefire way to produce work that is too self-conscious to be enjoyable. Be like the Very Hungry Caterpillar- eat the lot. When you throw off your cocoon, bright and new- you’ll be a beautiful butterfly!