Day 35

I read a statement today which I found to be quite profound. It read, "The young man or woman who aspires to become an artist but who is not willing to take that risk will have no chance whatever of being remembered. Art is a confrontation in which one gambles his or her life." (The Novel, James Michener) With this statement I am in agreement and yet I find it somewhat limiting in respect to my philosophy about finding joy in everyday life. There is risk in art. No doubt any time an individual creates something and "puts it out there", the artist risks criticism, failure, non-interest and self. Yet, perhaps not all art is to be remembered. Indeed, much of it has been forgotten, neglected, down graded or even simply discarded. That does not mean it has not been meaningful in it's base creation. For instance, on Wednesdays, I paint with my best friend. Neither of us is particularly good, but the camaraderie felt during those sessions is priceless. We laugh, we cry, we talk, we are silent. We simply exist in the moment and art is the thing of beauty which binds us in that moment, so even though perhaps we are not gambling with our lives, we are creating memories and synthesizing a relationship which will last forever.