Masters
The article talks about Rembrandt being a master and one of his frustrations was that he couldn't paint any other way than the way he painted.
And I had to let that sink in for a minute. Rembrandt wanted to paint in a non-Rembrandt way sometimes. Maybe he wanted to do some little Thomas Kinkaide * cottages or maybe some Jackson Pollock-esque surrealism. Okay, maybe not. But the point is he wanted to train his hands to paint in a different way than he was painting.
But why? Because people wanted something else. That Rembrandt-y stuff you're doing is, well, good - but if you'd add some bright yellow daisies...
But he couldn't. Okay, he could add daisies. Yeah. But he couldn't paint differently. 'Cause what made him...well...HIM was the hours and hours and hours he had put in doing what he did. It's what made him great. Why ask him to change? That's what made him a master.
So the article says we need more masters. I agree. We need more people dedicated to what they love to do. Too many people chasing a paycheck rather than a dream. Too many people plodding along, head down, step after agonizing step rather than chin-up, eyes wide, stride after stride.
Why?
Master it. Love it. Do it.
And you know what I want to master?
Being husband and dad.
That's it. I've plodded along enough at it. I love it, I'm okay at it - now I'm going to spend hours and hours at it - like Rembrandt in front of the canvas - like Beethoven at the manuscript paper - like...well, you get the picture.
There's lots of stuff I want to be good at - but I gotta master these two. Not much else in my life matters more - my faith does, but I'm already better at that than I am at being dad and husband.
So, even though that article was talking about art - well, maybe I still am - I agree.
The world needs more masters.
And I'm gonna be one.
*Did you know he just passed away? His website, NY Daily News announcement of his death
Comments