Artist statement notes from the art series Death to My Reputation

Notes of a Woman Who Learned to Mind Her Business and Get Stuff Done

By Khephra Husser

(Artist statement notes from the art series Death to My Reputation: Exploring Faith, success, and Purpose )

Sensitivity

Some callings require sensitivity in order to walk in the purpose that God has for you. Be careful whom you attempt to “toughen up” for a cold world. No amount of adversity weakens their ability to remain a light. If you experience people coming into your life attacking and manipulating you to become cold or hardened like them, recognize that these people may be struggling to love themselves enough not to give in to the pressures of the world. It’s a form of bitterness and stagnation. Pray for them and let God handle them. There is no need to prove yourself or correct them. They chose to pick a fight with God because God made you that way. Stay focused on your purpose.

Resilience

My favorite thing about resilience is that you get to see the ebb and flow of support from people around you. Your rests and resets are a gift from God to see who is really in your corner. Masks come off, and how people really feel is volunteered information. This way, you know who and what is lurking when God blesses you publicly. Also, those who reveal themselves are always on my prayer list because they aren’t about to be the reason why I don’t get it right with God. You have to forgive and let Him fix it.

Diligence

One thing I learned while working difficult projects with impossible time restraints is that the most diligent people say less and are often misunderstood. There are times during a project when most people give up or fret about the situation. If you have a strategy and a good understanding of how to manage your skill set and time, you may be able to finish the project in record time. Along the way, some people will say you’re delusional, that what you are doing is impossible. I’ve had people literally have outbursts, projecting their limitations, and in the end, they are shocked at how the work got done in such a short amount of time.

If you are truly diligent, you work consistently when nobody is looking. Your strategy and approach to things are carefully thought out, and you are flexible enough to overcome challenges along the way to get the job done. The number of times people have lied about me, saying “she ain’t doing nothing,” while I work three jobs, launch new business projects, and volunteer at the same time, is ridiculous. It’s become comical to me. Nobody sees the hours you put in doing the things that life requires, juggling obligations and responsibilities, and quietly slaying goals along the way. Let them talk and waste their time, but I have work to do. When you are diligent, you’re actually working.

Humility

Be careful who you choose to humble. The rule of thumb with humility is that pride is the need to humble others. You simply cannot know the emotional and spiritual state of every person around you. If you see a person smiling and holding their head up, why would you feel provoked to teach them a lesson? You could be dealing with someone who has survived and overcome things that you would be unable to endure. I personally believe that people who do this to others have wickedness and jealousy in their hearts. Also, prideful people love to call humble people “stupid” because they would never position themselves that way if it were them. This year I learned that proud people think they are wise. They will challenge the things that God does in your life and say that you should accept their wisdom over the things that God is doing for you.

Quiet

A meek and quiet spirit will always make unworthy people uncomfortable. A gossiper likes when you say too much because they can use the information as social currency. When you tell them your boundaries and refuse to feed them your information, their narcissistic underbelly will show, and they will rush to tarnish your name and reputation. It scares the crap out of them because they can’t believe that you set a boundary, and they’re shocked that you can see them for who they are.

Death to My Reputation

If we crucify our flesh daily, why worry about what people say or think about you? I spent so much time trying to clear my name until I realized that it doesn’t matter, and nobody cares anyway. They are gossiping about someone that no longer exists because each day I dedicate myself to God and His plan for my life. I recently found out that your reputation can become an idol if you focus too much on preserving it and worrying about it. I grew up around and worked with people who were committed to misunderstanding my demeanor and tarnishing my name. I finally got to the point where I understood the assignment—I was supposed to let them. It’s part of the experience of someone with my purpose and calling in life.

Only those who truly understand or truly like what I do will be close to me and celebrate my success. It’s a gift because these people expose themselves openly, so I don’t have to guess if they are on my side. When you break free from the idolatry of guarding your reputation, people will line up to lie, defame, betray, and judge you. But if you endure with unmatched focus on what God is doing and your purpose, you will never have to worry about other people having the power to control or hinder your success in life.