This morning I had a conversation with a friend and we were talking about the prolific things we as humans do – the good things – and how our best efforts often do not avail much. However, even if we have failed dismally for the umpteenth time in the sight of all to see, we somehow find the strength to get up and we try again. It is actually amazing, when we sit down quietly and think of it “logically”. There are no guarantees that we will attain any measure of success the next time we try, be it with a new venture or with a different take on the current venture, but we persist. It must be the “divine” energy in us that lifts us up.
In the art world it is the same. Our paintings (or songs or books) don’t sell well, but we keep on producing and we keep on dreaming and hoping that there will be some connection in the future that will “justify” our struggles. Fortunately for all of us (not just the artists) working “practically” with our hands (tackling yet again the very struggle we may want to avoid because it disappoints), there is a “heavenly” satisfaction we derive from seeing the products we have produced or created at the end of an arduous process; that feeling of personal achievement, has a spurring on effect on us too.
Our struggle often seems fruitless, but it puts the sweet fruit called “hope” in our hearts, I think. It is one of the three “big” ones. 1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love”.
Shall we “love” what we do? I am including a collage and mixed media portrait here which I made in 2016 and it is called “Courage”.
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