"Any technique, however worthy and desirable, becomes a disease when the mind is obsessed with it." -Bruce Lee
It's a bit cliche: the overly intense artist who has an unhealthy obsession with his. So much so that he doesn't even notice the world around him. Cliche though it may be, we all have a little George from Sunday in the Park in us.
The pursuit of art, and the technique needed to create it, is a passionate pursuit. Thus it often attracts passionate people, with a tendency to obsess. If you've ever spent an entire afternoon feverishly humming and plunking out notes on a piano, or if you've stayed up until three in the morning cutting and re-cutting a video clip until it was just right, you probably know what I'm talking about.
At some point though, everybody needs a release. If we do not take the release, choosing instead to press on, we run the risk of our pursuit turning into a "disease" like mister Lee spoke about above.
If we look at artists, both past and present, we'll find that nearly all of them had some form of release or relaxation time.
Henry David Thoreau enjoyed a box of donuts from his mother and sister once a week, even during his time at Walden.
Maya Angelou found that cooking dinner for her husband in the evening helped her to unwind and relax after writing all day.
Howard Hughes enjoyed milk and Oreos, but never together.
Even Kurt Cobain had his drugs and Pete Rose had his gambling. Unfortunately, not everyone chooses a healthy release.
For myself, much like Maya Angelou, I enjoy cooking, especially if it's for other people. Does cooking directly benefit my technique as a writer? Perhaps not directly, but it certainly does give me a chance to let go of the work for a while, relax, and reload.
It's not lazy to take time to relax. It actually takes incredible discipline, and is one of the most essential aspects of the artistic journey.
It's a bit cliche: the overly intense artist who has an unhealthy obsession with his. So much so that he doesn't even notice the world around him. Cliche though it may be, we all have a little George from Sunday in the Park in us.
The pursuit of art, and the technique needed to create it, is a passionate pursuit. Thus it often attracts passionate people, with a tendency to obsess. If you've ever spent an entire afternoon feverishly humming and plunking out notes on a piano, or if you've stayed up until three in the morning cutting and re-cutting a video clip until it was just right, you probably know what I'm talking about.
At some point though, everybody needs a release. If we do not take the release, choosing instead to press on, we run the risk of our pursuit turning into a "disease" like mister Lee spoke about above.
If we look at artists, both past and present, we'll find that nearly all of them had some form of release or relaxation time.
Henry David Thoreau enjoyed a box of donuts from his mother and sister once a week, even during his time at Walden.
Maya Angelou found that cooking dinner for her husband in the evening helped her to unwind and relax after writing all day.
Howard Hughes enjoyed milk and Oreos, but never together.
Even Kurt Cobain had his drugs and Pete Rose had his gambling. Unfortunately, not everyone chooses a healthy release.
For myself, much like Maya Angelou, I enjoy cooking, especially if it's for other people. Does cooking directly benefit my technique as a writer? Perhaps not directly, but it certainly does give me a chance to let go of the work for a while, relax, and reload.
It's not lazy to take time to relax. It actually takes incredible discipline, and is one of the most essential aspects of the artistic journey.
