When I was 19, I lived in NYC. Therefore art and culture were right in my front yard! On one of those down days, I was able to take myself to the Museum of Modern Art to get my spark back. The first piece of art I saw when I entered the museum exhibit was a HUGE canvas painted totally white. So what do you think my reaction was? "How did that make it into a museum! I could get a four year old to make a totally white painting. I don't "get" how that piece was considered museum-worthy."
It wasn't until later on in life, while I was coaching, that I "got" that painting. And this is true of art of all types, from writing to any form of creation. It's all about the process more than the result.
Think about that. What if? What if the artist who painted that white painting created it while hanging upside down in a pit of snakes, trying to believe in the light of their painting? What if they painted that painting with a special paint of recycled sock lint saved from their dryer for the last 30 years? What if they used one of their body parts or a bottle of kaopectate as the brush for the paint? It's all about the process of how it was done over the result. How more than what.
I once heard a knitter complain that the project offered in a workshop I was giving wasn't worth the price of the workshop. Interesting how that was perceived. The workshop was about learning the process of knitting enough to take the skills with you through life, not about the project. Sure, you could buy a similar item in Walmart for a few bucks, but you wouldn't learn the process and skills you'd learn to make endless projects.
So, in this crazy multi-task era I encourage contemplation on enjoying and being totally present during the process...really involving every cell in each detail of the creative process. Let go of the results.
This may be a metaphor of honoring the process of a creative endeavor, but how can you apply it to all you do in life? How would focusing on being passionate about the process and letting go of the outcome change how we live life?
Any thoughts or stories to share?
2 comments:
Yes, “in this crazy multi-task era,” it’s cool to encourage everyone to be present during the process. My wonderment is: if one is multi-tasking through A, or the process – could they be truly present? Most recently, I read – instead of following the ‘trend’ where everyone is multi-tasking, due to feeling there’s so much; which must be accomplished. Folks should do one task at a time, and in that way they remain most present! Though, I complain they aren’t enough hours in my day to do all that’s required of me; what I read makes sense. That statement also reminded me of something else I read, a quote actually: “Never get too busy making a living; that you forget to make a life.” Guess, what I’m thinking is: if we stop multi-tasking through the process trying to remain present, we can remain fully present through the process doing one task at a time. Whada Think? J
I totally agree, Yogagurl! It's a huge struggle to do things slowly and patiently and not want to take on the deluge of situations screaming for attention. I find this era takes a lot of inner strength and discernment when it comes to choices of where to put our energy. With multi-tasking, focus is split and then quality may suffer for it. Yet there are people who do well doing many things at once. I know of youth who find more motivation to do homework with music blasting or the TV on. Whatever works for each person. It may even be a generational shift!It could be whatever environment we grow up in. Personally, I have to connect with my inner Muse and it's hard to hear/feel her if there's too much going on to distract all my senses.
Thank you for the great comment and Namaste, Yogagurl!
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