Stubborn

Blogspot was being stubborn this morning, and didn't allow me entry at 5 am when I wanted to post today. Finally now, five minutes before I need to leave for work, it is allowing me in. But its' stubbornness allows me to reflect on the benefits of personal stubbornness in our own artistry.

No child is born knowing how to speak, or walk, or run.....or draw, or sculpt, or play music. These are things that are learned as coordination is gained through physical and psychological growth. Even the great masters - Mozart and Beethoven, Van Gogh and Da Vinci, your parents and/or siblings have had time when things they were doing just weren't working out well. Then it is up to each individual to make up their mind about the choice of two paths. Either the choice of giving up on the task completely and going in a totally different direction, or hunkering down, playing stubborn, and working through the problem to progress.

I think in painting the stubbornness comes through in what I have always called "the ick factor". That means that every painting has a stage where everything just looks horrible. But as you grit your teeth and continue to work on the painting, it progresses past the ick stage and becomes truly beautiful. Become stubborn in your own life and see the beauty that will come from it when you have the luxury of looking back at it.