Ponderings when running the marathon...

Chapter 1.5 (pg 10)

per⋅se⋅ver⋅ance -- (pur-suh-veer-uhns)

Perseverance is one of the most important absolutes that any artist can have. Creativity must stem from a resolute attitude to boldly go forward even when the path ahead is obscured or hazy. I won't unconditionally advocate the old adage about taking the path less travelled, despite it seeming great and rebellious at first glance. It may be desirable and beneficial for some to begin their journey on a road that has fewer cracks, to learn the terrain, so that a new road can later be constructed from the knowledge previously gained. The mistake, of course, would be to stick to this road.

The journey down either or both of these roads will undoubtedly be littered with a large dose of despair, but often (hopefully) an equally large dose of optimistic positivity, which is the antidote for the despair. The despair can come easily, but the positivity only comes through work. A word of caution: be careful over-indulging in either path as they both lead to downfall (either of body or mind) in the long-run.

There is a book entitled The Daily Practice of Painting, which for the most part contains essays and interviews about or by the eminent German painter Gerhard Richter. What is contained in the book is fascinating and in some ways important, but most important is the title... the DAILY practice. the concept is easily acknowledged, but is equally easy to forget. Look at Richter, and it is clear that for him it is a daily practice.

Another reference from another well known artist, the painter Chuck Close. When asked how he comes up with the ideas for his large scale portraits, he answered "inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just get to work". Sometimes I think just being in your creative space just looking at your creation, can partially constitute this work. Anything to avoid the nothing.

This is not a sprint, it is a marathon. Have a plan, stick to it. A daily account will follow.