Retrace Your Steps
You came into the room. You stopped. Looked around. You are trying to remember why you came to the room and what you were looking for. You know how it is to get those mental blackouts. “What was I looking for?” That’s often the first question that pops. Now you have to go back and retrace your steps.
I find interesting when in movies and television shows they begin the story at a point almost to the end to go back and tell the story to that point. Then the action picks up to complete the story. It would make to sense to continue the story from that point before giving us the back story. There is a purpose for that last scene and some hints are provided through the story.
When painting we often get caught up in a tiny detail and forget to step back and look at the big picture. In sculpting, specially figurative sculpting, each detail needs to make sense with the complete figure. We need to step back from time to time and retrace our steps to that moment to understand our progress. Then we move on to the next step.
As 2014 comes to an end it is very easy to forget why we are here. It is very easy to get caught up in a tiny detail of today and forget how we made it here. I mean, we are here for a purpose, right? Would it make sense to move forward in the story not knowing why we are here? Take a moment and retrace your steps to the beginning of the year. See the big picture. The fact that you made it from the beginning of the year until now is reason enough to celebrate.
In previous posts I argue the importance for artists to develop their career based on their values and not based on comparisons with other artists and quantitative measures. The values that define you as a person will define you as an artist. You can’t separate those two. That is a start. If you know who you are and what is important to you, then your work and your choices will show it too.
Many new and aspiring artists ask where to begin an art career. To answer the question I have to wear my instructional designer’s hat. I can’t offer you an informed suggestion without performing an analysis. It bothers me when someone offers a solution to a problem without knowing the situation, the context, the art, or the artist. Every context is different and every artist is different. What works in one town might not work in the next. Art is subjective. There would be people who love what you do and there would be people who hate it. It is part of the nature of art.
Sculpting clay is very therapeutic and fun. You don’t need experience. I have seen people in my classes, workshops, and sculpting parties who could not believe what they accomplished. All you need is to immerse yourself in the process. It is a unique experience.
Forming the clay allows for a deep connection between creator and creation. Your hands will smell like clay and the clay will carry your fingerprints. Your fingers communicate with the clay as in a silent conversation. In the process the clay may get stubborn and hard to mold, but with water it becomes soft again. Sometimes little pebbles get mixed in the clay. You need to remove them before they ruin the piece. When the piece is complete you will be proud of the result.
Your life is like clay. God is the sculptor. He is sculpting life in you. He is immerse in the process of forming your life and seeking a deeper connection with you. He is leaving his fingerprints on you and keeping your smell on his hands. Don’t fear or reject the tears that are softening your heart for him to continue working. Let him remove those painful pebbles of the past that left scars in your life. I assure you that at the end, no matter how imperfect you think you are, for Him you are his masterpiece.
Everything I Am Not
I was about 5 years old when I realized I wanted to be an actor. I wanted to be a serious, Oscar worthy, staring at the camera saying nothing actor. My first acting gig came up during this time I got chosen to be one of the three wise men for the Christmas school play. I got into character, learned my lines, the beard and costume fitted perfectly. All I had to do was to get on stage and say, “I am Gaspar and I bring the myrrh”. I was ready!
The day came. All the parents and visitors were expecting the arrival of the three wise men. I was last. My two partners said their lines and my turn came. I approached the microphone looked at the audience and half way through saying my line I completely forgot what I was bringing to baby Jesus. “I am Gaspar and I bring…” I scratched my head, touched my beard, and looked inside the treasure box I was carrying while the audience erupted in laughter. I finally remembered I brought the myrrh. There was laughter and a lot of clapping as I moved to my position to allow the play to continue. I blew it! And it was AWESOME!
Late at night, before I fall asleep, all I want to know is that God loves me. I just want a chance to find my God-given identity. I would like to know that everything I am not serves a purpose and lifts someone’s spirit somehow. At the end of my life I want to be remembered by those who matter most as a “Loving son, husband, father, and friend”. The rest is just extra.
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