Friday, November 3, 2017

Do Not Wait

In 1937, early American self-help writer Napoleon Hill published Think and Grow Rich. Much of the book's content focuses on increased income, but what caught my ear when I learned about the book in a segment on NPR, and what Hill himself insisted was a philosophy that could help people succeed in any line of work, and do and be anything they could imagine, was his saying:

Do not wait: the time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.

That's my art life! I start where I stand in any given moment and work with whatever I've got.

I have to say, though, I hope to find 'better tools' tomorrow! Today I started playing with another one of my quick and quixotic cut-ups and just could not get into a groove.

Work in progress, work in progress.

work in progress
4x5"; unstretched canvas
working title: q&q cut-up #4

6 comments:

carol edan said...

What a wonderful philosophy! Adopted! Getting in the groove RIGHT NOW!

dotty seiter: now playing said...

I sat right up straight in the car when I heard those lines on the radio. Really, just do it! Glad to have shared the thought with you. Go!!! : )

Lola (Jen Jovan) said...

Love that philosophy....we cannot wait for the muse to show up in order to begin. We must BEGIN, and then she will show up. And this vertical! oooh la la! Love this shape!!

dotty seiter: now playing said...

As much as I didn't get in a groove yesterday—and I did NOT!—because of my art practice I have a much more trusting open modus operandi than I used to. I just begin, and begin again, and keep poking around and playing.

This one's aiming to become a bookmark eventually. It's tiny.

Simone said...

Love the vertical shape of the painting. Do you like working in this shape? I find it difficult if the shape is so stretched (don't know how to properly express myself, but you understand what I mean).

dotty seiter: now playing said...

The tall narrow format is indeed challenging, and I am struggling with this particular piece! I do like the bookmark shape, but it's often easier to work on a larger composition first and then cut this shape from the larger composition.

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