Introspection and Poetry
It would be fair to say I have been struggling lately. With the world, with my fitness, motivation, my art, my habits, my diet, just in general. So I started to look inward, to read more, to make changes. I am trying to follow in the steps of wiser men and women. I am a sucker for quotes and sayings, for songs and poems that inspire and motivate me. I am reading more on stoicism, on history and everything really. I want to share a few things that are speaking to me right now. Part of me thinks this doesn’t belong here, on my art blog but I guess this is not just my art blog. This is a record of my journey, the site as a whole is, I have a long ways to go still as an artist and this is part of that journey.
The first bit of wisdom comes from Wendell Berry. He is a poet I discovered during the pandemic and this piece moves me every time. This is called “Our Real Work”
“It may be that when we no longer know what to do
we have come to our real work,
and that when we no longer know which way to go
we have come to our real journey.
The mind that is not baffled is not employed.
The impeded stream is the one that sings.”
That whole thing really speaks to me, as someone that only figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up when I was in my mid 40’s. But the last 2 lines are so, so amazing.
The italian philosopher Zeno said
“Well-being is realized by small steps but it is truly no small thing”
It’s not a grand gesture or turning your life upside down to try and fix things. It’s small steps.
Marcus Aurelius said in Meditations
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts”
It’s not always easy, actually scratch that, it’s almost never easy but that’s what it takes. Focus on the good, light the fire and stoke it, build a bonfire of positive deep inside and bask in it.
Now for what I think is the funny bit. I have poets and philosophers sure but what has been echoing around my mind lately and what I find so comforting is from a show called Shoresy.
If you haven’t watched it, get on it. Its amazing writing, dialogue and all around a great show.
A few gems from the show that have been ricocheting around my brain.
“Go till you can’t go no more”
“Go where you’re needed”
“Be the hardest working guy out here”
“Don’t WANT to win. You gotta HATE to lose”
“Hell yeah, Fuck Yeah”
Fits right in doesn’t it? Not really but hey, not everything needs to.
so……..
I am reading more, I am getting up earlier, I am working out more, getting more steps every day. I am eating healthier, trying to get better sleep. Journaling again. I am setting some art goals that I will share at some point. The store will be opening as soon as I can get the bank sorted. If you are reading along, thanks for that. I think most of these are really for me, to spill parts of my brain onto a page or screen and be able to take a look at it, to look back and see where I was at a point in time. Right now the world is a dark and scary place but I am doing my best to keep that darkness from dampening my inner light. I fail some days and win others.
You gotta HATE to lose….
