Artistic Nature

My uncle, Bob Ramsay, sent me this. He says it's from "Birdbrain with a Migraine". I can't find that source anywhere.

What do I see when I am around an artist? They care and they don't care.

They care to value ideas. Ideas are not simply dismissed as a passing whim. Ideas are the first step in a new adventure. Ideas are a doorway to the mind and soul. Ideas think. Ideas emote. Ideas are the meaning of life. Ideas from others are welcome.

They care to record in some manner these vaporous ideas into concrete meaning. Sometimes ideas are lost like a cloud on a clear dry day. Sometimes the essence of the idea is maintained, but the details get warped. Recording is important because ideas fade as dreams fade.

Finding the correct medium to express ideas is very difficult. Music? Writing? Ceramics? Painting? Oils? Water? Glass? Steel? Stone? Carving? Appliqué? Fabric? Ideas and medium, how does this all fit in with one's ability? Art by programming is enticing and repulsive depending...They care greatly about the medium.

Work, work, work. Artists get so involved that work is not work. Time is not time. Sweat is not noticed. Blisters are not noticed. Burns are hardly noticed. Work is the path to achievement. Artist care about achievement.

Fruition. This is a terrible and depressing moment. Artists are their own worst critics. How does it look? Will it publish? Stop or rework and rework? Artists care about fruition.

Giving it up. Will it be acclaimed? Will it be panned? Will it be ignored? Your baby is now out in the cold cruel world. Artists care.

But then again, artists are not politicians, pandering and pandering, twisting ideas to fit others and more pandering. Politicians want something. Artists don't care to "take". Artists care to "give".

To artists, ideas are the most important thing. They will try and try again and again. They don't care to please others as a goal. Don't care as a badge of courage. And hopefully they can still eat. Artists are apart from others. Artisits are true, true to their ideas, true to their application of ideas.

Artists are always young. They think like children. They act like children. They are self-possessed like children. Children when they are young. Children to the day they die. Children because they care.

Artists care and they don't care. Artists are first, artists.

Some even die as artists. Principal comes before understanding. They care while they don't care. They care about principal and don't care about understanding. They are artists. They are true to their nature.