As a human being, an artist, an perhaps a girl who's had quite the circuitous past, I look up to a lot of successful people who have made more than one mistake in their life. It helps me see that great success can emerge from the darndest of places. A flower can grow from a crack in the cement, there is a diamond in the ruff, and you can find that needle in the haystack.
Today I found a quote that read "A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them and strong enough to correct them" from John C Maxwell.
I think the quote is simply amazing. And I think a lot of people struggle with demons, sometimes successfully, sometimes unsuccessfully, but to be able to make great art from it... that's power. And to be able to commiserate with others and grow in compassion because of your struggle is also quite beautiful.
When I thought about it, and perhaps because the author of that quote name starts with John, Johnny Cash immediately came to mind. He struggled with addiction and landed in jail numerous times, albeit for one night stints, he used it to his benefit. There's power and beauty in that. And he even grew to have compassion for prisoners so much so that he gave concerts at prisons. He eventually got his act together and curtailed his use of drugs and run-ins with the law and still exists today as an icon in the legacy of American culture.
It does get better. It is circuitous. You can make magic happen when you least expect it. Just... Johnny Cash that shit!