Dear Friends,
It seems to me, if you only have a few shades of yellow on your pallet, no matter how talented you are, your paintings will be monotone. Talent lacking experience is unrealizable potential. The pallet gives a medium, talent the ability to use that medium. This is one reason so many creative types don’t do well. They want to create immediately, before amassing experience. Kids are the same in this regard. They, as did I, think they know it all. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons art is so derivative today. The writers have talent but have limited experience to draw on. So their creations necessarily paint on those same canvases. Lacking authenticity. People with talent often don’t embrace life’s lessons in the insignificant. Our egos get in the way. (Not that I have talent… only a old guy’s pallet and galactic ego).
The insignificant contain the most profound truths. Simple realities that are lost on most like, everything requires work, you do your best thinking when engaged in labor, honesty really is the best policy, diligence beats negligence, etc… these truths add to the pallet of the creator. The more truths a an artist understands, the greater the depth, and more subtle the differentiation of their rainbow. Truths can’t be replaced by group think, conforming to be non conforming, or being captured by an idea. Those captured by an idea can only paint in that color scheme. Even if they’re extremely talented, sooner or later, their sepia will become dated. The creative must have genuinely open minds, not minds channeled by a cult. Making their creations derivative of that cult. Not authentic.
There aren’t many people who would argue a brilliant four year old can beat an average twenty year old in a spelling bee. While the phenom may have ability, he or she lacks education. The same can be said of any venture. A brilliant sea captain on his first voyage, will be less safe, than an average grizzled old captain who’s seen it all. Creating is the same. The brilliant see their own brilliance, “close at hand while they see other’s at a distance…” – someone smarter than me. Which makes it such a shame so few artists embrace their time in the desert. That’s the time they’re gathering colors, truths and experiences to build their creations in the future. Which is why I advocate creator types to seek the mundane, quotidian and personal. Because it’s personal experience that gives an artist depth and authenticity.
No one is too good to do a lowly job, there are however, lowly jobs that are too good for some people. I had an able bodied neighbor who was on welfare back in the 1970s. One day he was bragging, a boss had told him to do something he thought was below him, and he told that boss, no way! He went on to explain, he wouldn’t work for the pittance they were paying anyway, being worth much more than that! I thought to myself, you’re too good to accept a pittance for your labor, but not too good to accept charity? Yet it’s common among people today… especially creative types. Every second playing video games is experience lost. Because what are you going to create from that? Something derivative of the game. Washing dishes while watching a kitchen, is an education worth having, and portraying.
Inexperienced artists allow manipulators to get into the zeitgeist through the backdoor. They accept the programming because, who wants to be ostracized, for an unpopular opinion? Despite the fact every time an artist accepts limits on his or her view, they’re erasing colors from their pallet. Every time a creative type accepts welfare, instead of works, they limit their experience of life… and thus block whole areas of possible creation. A life of partying and frivolity may be what every artist desires, but that life is as corrosive of their ability to create, as acid to limestone. Artists need to embrace life in the mundane. That’s where all the good material is. That’s where authenticity is. Derivative works from games, movies, partying, or propaganda are never true art, no matter how brilliant.
Sincerely,
John Pepin
