"The Sovereign Artist™ — simply put, it’s beautiful. It really speaks to artistry"
Ruth Hawkins
PTA President, Professional Performing Arts School
In Pursuit of
The Sovereign Artist™
An ongoing exploration of an approach to creation grounded in authenticity and inner authority.
"This is beautiful. And certainly part of what I aspire to become as an artist. In many ways, I believe I already am a sovereign artist."
"Personally, I love your thinking on The Sovereign Artist™. I hope you are looking into trademarking that idea!"
Ravin Catlin
PTA Cultural Delegate Professional Performing Arts School
"Thank you for sharing your vision for "The Sovereign Artist™". Your tenants and the ideals behind them resonate fully with my own beliefs as an educator and an artist, and with what I strive to empower my students with. It is most important for one to take to the stage, the page, the screen, the editing room, the canvas with a freedom to play and take chances without fear of pleasing others. Thank you for sharing. I will print this as a reminder for myself of what it means to be a soverign artist."
Greg Parente
PPAS Drama Educator
Professional Performing Arts School
"Love the ideas presented, and the terminology. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and this expression of support for the journey of the actor. I look forward to your shared and continued exploration!"
"Thank you for sharing The Sovereign Artist™. So many of your reflections resonate with me. My favorite line: The Sovereign Artist™ embodies creative freedom as a birthright. The foundation of creativity really lies in freedom to express and share your talent with others so that one learns, makes connections and gains inspiration. Birthright emphasizes that this is something that we have the right to explore and share from the minute we enter the universe."
Leah Dyer
Principal, Professional Performing Arts High School
"This is astute and right on the nose (or heart). This is exactly the kind of thing Michael works with when he paints. In fact he went to Harvard Divinity school as an artist/scholar to study art as a sacred act. He would love to talk to you more I'm sure. I'm cc'g him on this email."
"Sounds great to me. Dave Chapelle is a perfect example. Richard Pryor as well. The comedians usually have the corner on this taken care of, although words have power. The power of the tongue can start the war or keep the peace. Intention is everything."
"Knowing that creation comes from nothing. A clearing an empty space that allows creation of your thoughts to come through.Those that are willing to be still and know create.Creation does not come from outside. It comes from within us each and everyone of us that is willing and believes it is possible."
"Fantastic! I love the definition of The Sovereign Artist™."
"Sovereignty isn’t a destination. It’s an art form learned through the pursuit of it. The path is uniquely personal, because what’s being reclaimed is originality itself - a return to what I will call Source. For me, Source is God. This is thought provoking. Thank you for the discussion."
"Such artist's works transcend ownership or market dictates and they become a vessel for authenticity, consciousness, and evolution that I observed and believe their longevity eventually commercialize their artistry."
Tyrone BaileyJazz Radio Producer
TyBailey Productions
"What stands out most is that The Sovereign Artist™ is presented not as a label or achievement but as an archetype of inner authority and creative reclamation. It focuses on creating from truth rather than seeking permission, and in doing so, naturally encourages others to connect with their own voice. I also appreciate that it is described as an ongoing pursuit that can never be fully attained, which keeps the idea alive and open to everyone. The concept is strongest when readers feel invited to participate rather than just observe, recognizing that sovereignty is something they are already moving toward. This comes across less like a manifesto and more like an invitation, calling those who are ready to engage with their creativity in a genuine way."
Amy
Artist
“It doesn’t feel like a concept. It feels like a living field. Something discovered, not designed in a boardroom. There’s a calm authority in it. That unforced clarity. Creation coming from inside instead of waiting on permission.” “…from little ones to college—are hungry for this language. You’re naming what so many already feel but can’t say yet: their voice matters, creativity is a birthright, and expression can be both personal and world-shifting.”… “I also love the humility in it—that The Sovereign Artist™ isn’t a destination but an ongoing becoming. No hierarchy. No gatekeepers. Everybody enters where they are. Just… field.”
"On the surface it sounds great. But to me only one who is THE SOVEREIGN ARTIST is God himself. We are His creation. Created in His image. Spiritually."
"That is a beautiful, thoughtful, and in many ways, profound expression of truth"
"Not a destination, but a way of finding purpose engaging in life, creating, discerning, expressing, relating, and evolving in the absence of external authority and control."
"The Sovereign Artist™ embodies the freedom of being and the remembrance of who we are as a soul. It is allowed by the transformation of ego into soul.
The Sovereign Artist™ is the inner king or queen of your creative life: the part of you that consciously authors your own story, rather than living inside someone else's script. It is a state of self-governance in which you listen deeply to your unique vision, shape reality through your creativity, and relate to your gifts as a way of blessing the world.
As I said, an awakened human."
Sophie McLeanFounder, Access to Awareness®
"Most that have the craft of Art undersands and sees the message. I wouldn't be the greatest artist if I were good at technology."
"I started a podcast called blood and more and it was about people who live life creatively. Which in essence was about people living their lives on their own terms. So I understand."
"I come from the noise and rush of the subway, where my audience doesn't buy tickets—they simply pass by. Sometimes they pause, sometimes they smile, sometimes they cry. I don't just play the guitar; I touch memories, hope, faith, and longing. Every note is a handshake. Every melody is an invisible hug.
To me, the true sovereignty of an artist isn't fame. It's believing that a song can change someone's day, offering the same wholehearted expression whether for one person or one hundred."
"The Sovereign Artist™ is a unique concept. Very appealing. Relevant."
Chet Whye
How the Pursuit Began
The Sovereign Artist™ traces to a brief, indescribable moment experienced during a live Broadway performance. Later that night, the phrase itself emerged, repeating in a dream, and was subsequently articulated in the days and weeks that followed.
Personal in origin, its meaning is offered to be shared, explored, and lived in one’s own way.
If this resonates with you, you are welcome to continue in the pursuit.