Did you ever see the movie White Squall? It’s a great “coming of age” movie starring Jeff Bridges. He plays a demanding captain, leading a crew of seafaring students on a sailing odyssey. This group of misfit boys stand at the threshold of manhood, and are seeking the answers to life; asking the same questions we all have.
The story revolves around the challenges each boy faces. They all hope to glean some enlightenment from the crusty, wise boat captain. One boy, in particular, must come to grips with an over-bearing father and find some type of meaning to this thing we call “life”. A series of tragedies occur, and in the end, this boy reflects on the experience and sums it up with this succinct statement: “Homer was right…..The Journey is the thing.”
This “Homer thing” applies to artists, as well. I can vouch. But don’t we all fit this profile? Isn’t this a universal theory?
See if this sounds familiar:
1) Find something we love
2) Twist it into a job
3) Spend a lifetime trying to get back to the thing we love.
Homer was right! It is the journey. You know it. I know it. And yet this crazy world swallows us up.
So how do we fight the cycle? How do we not focus on the Deadlines? The Safety Nets? The Comfortable? The Commitments? The Economy?
Homer was smart. He gave us two meaningful works in The Iliad and The Odyssey. He spelled it out. Now it’s up to us. THE JOURNEY IS THE THING!
God has blessed us with interesting times to live in. You are here, right now, for a reason. Find your passion and enjoy your journey.
Content © Mark Kohler Studio. Photo of Mark with horse © Sandy Wilson.
This is something I have been grappling with for awhile now. So nice to know that I am not alone. Thank you for the words of wisdom, Mark, and I will enjoy the journey!
ReplyDeletewhoa, where to begin?
ReplyDeleteLife isn't fair and art damn sure isn't! It's the only job title that includes "starving". So someone has pre-determined for our group that it's going to be a hard row to hoe. My opinion is this: It's only hard if we choose to let it be. If, as artists, we can perceive this road we've chosen as an adventure and rewarding, then this attitude alone creates success. Then a sale or a breakthrough or another accomplished painting, is more icing on the cake. Just enjoy the ride!
ReplyDelete