Tao, Art and the Artist.

21 Self  A visit to any bookshop or library and you will discover that there are many books claiming to help you become a better artist or to make the first hesitant steps to your first piece of artwork. Books on knitting in abundance, wood turning, jewellery making, and of course step by step books to a masterpiece. In this day and age, it is possible to go onto the world wide web and actually watch and learn from artists who are producing all sorts of saleable artwork. Paint-along videos are there in abundance.  There can be such a confusion of help and advice that it is difficult to decide where to begin. There are many who will offer to teach either at a club consisting of many like-minded people or even on a one to one basis. Here you will not only be given advice , but you will come into contact with those always happy to offer encouragement and even applause.  To display your first faltering steps on social media  you  will ...

20 Rules Like everything else in life art has its rules. Make sure that you learn about the focal point and then you need to learn about perspective. Having learned that , one has to learn about composition. If we do not follow the rules of composition the painting or work will look like just a jumble of pieces. Then there is the rule of making sure that all the elements of the work are in agreement. With the shapes, lines, and tone all in harmony. Next, we need to decide on the colour palette. Are we seeking a saturation of colour? Where is the light coming from and how do we convey that ? Shadows and darks must be in accord with the light. It is also wise to be conscious of the negative spaces. One rule after another. This is true also of composing a piece of music; it too has rules that it is wise to follow.  Of course, these are the rules for painting, but every other creative process will have its rules also. Such things can cause all s...

19 Selfless. The very fact that most involved in creative arts of any kind tend to spend much of their time working alone can lead to becoming self-centred. The very act of creating , whether in wood or paint or wool much time is spent on the inner thoughts required to complete any work. Great care has to be taken that such self-centred activity does not slip into selfish thinking. Easily and without much thought, the artist can slip into striving to be perfect not only in the work but in other ways also. Showing not our true selves but a fake. The Tao Te Ching counsels against such action and behaviour. Instead of being selfish we are urged to be selfless. Stop trying to prove anything simply pursue your creative purpose to the best of your ability. Doing this will not only be better for the self but will be good for all those who surround us. The very nature of creativity calls for us to put ourselves on show. Every artist knows that when they display t...

18 Criticism A blind man is seen out late at night carrying a lighted torch. A group of young lads see him and begin to make fun of him. "Why are you carrying a torch they mocked, it does not seem to be helping you to see your way?" Rather than retaliate to the mocking , the blind man waits until there is a lull , words removed and quietly replies to them. " I do not carry the torch to help me see the way, I carry it so that others I might not see and may not see me do not come to any harm by bumping into me." The boys look to one another and one of them very humbly apologises for the way they had all behaved. The world of art, like many other areas of society, have many strong-minded critics ready to voice an opinion without thought of the artist. Often such criticism is made in haste and can be harsh in nature taking little or no account of the hours of toil and thought that has gone into the creation. Such action is seldom motiva...

17 Guidance. Being a creative person can often involve being invited to assist others in their creative explorations. Possibly the artist will be asked by another to help them overcome a difficulty they have struggled with while trying to produce a work of art. This may not always be restricted to creative areas of life. Friendship can often bring with it those moments when a friend feels concerned or worried and seeks guidance and help. A true friend will never turn away from such a call for help.  They will be ready with any guidance they can muster or offering a comforting assisting word. Or maybe the artist has been invited to give some leadership to a group or club of people involved in the learning process, and they are sure that this particular person can give some guidance. Giving such guidance and leadership brings added responsibilities. The Tao Te Ching is not silent on such things and has much to say on the topic. One thing...

16 Peace. We live in a world that seems constantly to be on the move and there is a continual feeling of the need to succeed. We are frequently reminding ourselves of all that has to be achieved or completed. The next painting that has to be done, that blank canvas should be getting put to use. The poem that has been buzzing around in the head has to be written down. From the time we arise to the time we go to bed seems like one continuous flow of movement. It is worthy to take some time, in the midst of all this rush, to still the mind, to calm the thoughts. To simply be at peace with the world and oneself. The artist is seeking to find ways of expressing to the world the inner feelings that come to them as they contemplate what they see around them. Nature flourishes and blooms, then it returns to the source and takes a time to renew and refresh. This is the way of all things and should be the way of all creativity. Taking time to be at peace and to empty the mi...

15 Patience. There are times when it is wise to act slowly and with great patience. We seem to live in an age where everything has to be accomplished in great haste. Frequently people become like those possessed when they sit behind the wheel of a car. Sitting behind another car seems like the last thing that some wish to do so they recklessly take their lives, and the lives of others, into their hands, then at top speed pass in a dangerous place to simply be one step further forward in the line of traffic. The ancient sages in their wisdom took their time and were responsive to nature and to fellow human being and animals alike. They saw little to be gained by venturing into a muddy dangerous river when a time of waiting and it would settle and clear and become less dangerous.  As the sage says ,  "Young plants cannot be forced to grow by stretching them." There are times in the creative life when you cannot force things to happen, we have to l...

14  Procrastination Life is a myriad of big questions. The questions that have kept thinkers and minds engaged from almost the beginning of time. There have been many words written in response to these big questions ' hours have been spent contemplating and discussing.  Seldom do we find an answer that somebody else will not find a counter answer for. Lao Tzu speaking of the Tao says it cannot be seen or heard it always seems just out of reach and we cannot grasp it. So , it can also be when we contemplate the next project, the next painting or the next piece of decorative glass. The more we sit, contemplate and consider. the further away it seems to be and the more difficult it becomes to make that start.  There are some things in life that we have to either accept or reject, the decision is ours alone. The one certainty is this if we do not make a start lay down that first stroke of paint or weave the first few rows nothing will ever...

13 Failure. One of the most difficult things in life is to learn to accept failure. It is almost understandable that nobody ever likes to feel that they have failed. Such a feeling often leads to negative thinking and false assumptions that we just cannot do some things that we are doomed to further failure. So it is also when things do not go exactly as we had expected or hoped. We are faced with a feeling of misfortune. Something we most certainly did not expect has filled us with a sense of sadness. A painting for which we had such high hopes has not gone to plan, we feel a deep sense of having failed. We can persevere and possibly make matters worse, or we can paint it over with a neutral colour and begin again with confidence , having learned from the failure. This feeling of having failed or the deep sense of sadness that comes with misfortune are learned matters. Watch a child who tries to step out confidently only to trip and fall. Does the child a...

12 Focus. One of the greatest errors of the student artist is the desire to fill the palette with a large array of colours and paints. On visiting an art supplier and faced with the many colours and hues of colours the artist can be easily lulled into feeling the need to have more and more in their possession; the feeling that the more we have the better we will work. The Tao Te Ching says that colours can blind the eye. The more you have the more difficult it is to choose the ones that will be required to create the proposed work. It is like standing in a crowded room with background music playing at the same time. The noise can make us deaf to the words of those we wish to communicate with. Filling the mouth with too many flavours can destroy the enjoyment of the taste of each delicacy. Being too busy and running here there and everywhere , we can end up achieving little and , in some cases, nothing positive being accomplished. The sage, therefore, advis...

11 Negatives. When the potter stands at the wheel prepared to create a pot the clay as it turns is moulded creating the important space that will make this pot useful. Without this space, the clay would remain solid and it would not be able to be used to hold anything. It may be a decorative and thought - provoking work of art but without space its use is limited. When an artist stands before the easel and has a mind's eye view of what will fill that canvas and make it into something that provokes thought and admiration and conveys to others those inner thoughts of the artist. The artist is not only aware of what the painting will contain but will also be aware of what will be left out. The artist will be conscious of both the positive and negative spaces. When the artist falls into the trap of trying to capture all that the eye can see the end result can be something that does not hold the eye of the viewer. Rather the busyness of the artwork forces the...

10 Concentration. It is the moment of creation the beginning of something new. It is a moment when it is wise to concentrate on the task before you. To let your body relax and ready for whatever lies ahead.  If you approach a new beginning while bringing the mistakes or the grievances of the past with you your mind will not be free to embrace this new life. It is therefore wise to still the thoughts and generate a feeling of goodwill both towards yourself and others; only then allow the inner feeling of creativity to flow from you. You need not control it rather follow its direction, do not swim against the current. Once you have concentrated and gathered your thoughts now you can step up to the task and let the process takes its course. You will not be overcome by the enormity of the task, rather you will be a part of it. You will work for creation's sake alone not for any external credit, you will lead the work to its end without ever...

9 Tinkering. The Tao te Ching tells us that it is better to have enough rather than to have too much of anything. If we accumulate too many possessions, we could find that we have less  to enjoy to the full that which we have. We may even begin to feel insecure fretting that others may take from us what we already have. It is always wise to know when it is time to stop accumulating. It is also wise in the creative process to know when we have done enough or even said enough. In the writing of prose or verse it is easy to continue to write long after the point you wish to make has been made. There comes a time when it is correct to lay down the pen.  So also when painting. There comes a point when it is time to lay down the brushes and put away the paint. I wonder how many paintings and creations have been ruined by continuing on when it is past time to stop? So often long after the time has come, we tinker and tinker some more. Such tinkering often ta...

8 Passionate. There is no doubt that those who are involved in the creative arts of any type have to be passionate about what they do. It is the inner passion that we have for what we are creating that makes what we accomplish stand out from that of others.  But we need to be aware at all times that this passion is channelled for the correct reasons. The Tao Te Ching says that we should be like water. It does not strive, it simply flows. We must keep our feet on the ground. Our passion has to be for what we are creating not because we want to be better than others or to seek out the praise of others for what we have accomplished.  Such passion rather than be constructive can easily become destructive. We need to direct our passion towards our inner being uniting our thoughts and our ability to the one end of giving of our very best to the project at hand; going with the flow as does the river. Being passionate about what we are doing is ...

7 Attachment. There are artists who cannot relax while working on creative work. They fret over every detail, they need to be in complete control.  There are many reasons for this. But for some, it is simply the way they work but for many, they just cannot let go. They have become completely attached to the work in hand From the moment they begin, they worry about the end result. They just cannot let go. Some are so concerned about the judgement of others. The tension spills into the work and freedom is lost. On the other hand, the follower of Tao is detached, not fretting or worrying about things they cannot control. Those involved in the creative spirit should, like the sage put their whole effort into what they are doing and then let go.  We need to learn when it is time to let the inner spirit take over, and the final product will repay you in full.    Then it is time to become detached and move onwards to the next creativ...

6 Boundlessness. As we get older we discover that the things of youth become more and more difficult. Simply because as we age the body ages with us , and  everything slowly but surely begins to change. We get that little bit shorter, our weight changes, strength, endurance, speed, sight and power all begin to change. We have to learn to pace ourselves. Tasks that once we did without thought has now to be planned and we have to set aside more time. Standing before the easel is not possible for the same length as we once found easy.  The little things that we spotted quickly now we see only through a deeper concentration.  What does not change is the inner spirit, it seems to be infinite.  As we can read in the Tao Te Ching , the creative desire is still beating in the heart of ones being.  It is always present within even when you are not aware. When you use it; it will never fail you. This is because the Tao is always...

5 Equality. How often we hear others make comments about those who produce works of art or create things of beauty from materials others see as everyday things. They often say how they wish that they had such a talent, they believe that such a talent is a gift.  But if it is a gift then we are forced to ask the question who is it that arbitrarily makes such gifts?  Surely a creator being would not gift some and not others? Lao Tzu speaks of the Tao not taking sides. The heart of creation treats all alike and the spirit of possibility flows freely through all things. I f we study the lives of the M asters of A rt, those who have created those works that will be cherished for many years to come, we will discover that from a very early age they honed their craft until they were able to say in paint what others had learned to say in words. Saints and sinners are not created in the womb and born as such. They come about because of the choices they ...

4 Opportunities We stand before a blank canvas and so often the mind becomes equally as blank. Yet here before us is a world of opportunities. Anything can happen. The possibilities of what this blank canvas becomes are endless. Like every other artist, the ideas and notions of what we wish to fill this canvas are uncountable. No matter how many canvases we paint there can still be more we only have to open our minds and feel free to let the creative spirit work. The great masterpieces of art all began with such a blank canvas or sheet of paper. Those many thousands of works of art are all possible because people followed the urge and inspiration that allowed them to be creative. I f they spent too much time thinking it through, the rational mind often tells them that it is not possible that it is a waste of time and they were fooling themselves if they believed that a masterpiece lived within them waiting to be free. Lao Tzu tells us that we are like emp...

3 Boasting. There are many places where artists can show their creations to the world. On such social media, other artists will make comment about the artwork that is there to be seen. Positive compliments encourage artists to continue making art. Lao Tzu warns against being too free with compliments because there is the danger of the positive aspects of making compliments becoming lost in a shower of empty words. Praise, if it is to be encouraging and positive, has to be seen to have been made sincerely. We must also guard against seeking praise if we do so because it makes us feel good. Such praise can flaunt us , and we can lose all sense of reality. Praise should be given and praise only when truly deserved.  Care must also be taken that the giving of praise does not become the action of a boastful person. Many in the world of art frequently see honest given comments as winning and losing.  In giving praise or making comment on the work of a fe...

2 Enigma.  Anybody who has ever stood before a blank canvas or sheet of drawing paper is aware that what happens next can be either something marvellous or it can be a moment of feeling the taste of failure. Such is art that it can lift you to great heights or it can take you into the depths. You prepare the canvas and apply paint to your palette and gather together your brushes you are ready to give all that you have to put onto this canvas the masterpiece that lives in your head. There will be days when all will go well , and the creative juices will flow but there will also be days when you just push paint around and the magic fails to happen. Art as life is full of such opposites. The enigma of art. There are the glory and humility. The fever of urgency and the slow patience of waiting. There is the pain but there is also joy and exhilaration. For every success, there is also the failure. Every artist knows that being creative is full of the par...

1 Words There are many words spoken of art and often the words show that the speaker has only grasped the inner soul at a superficial level. Trying to describe a painting is always a subjective matter and the artist has the ability to touch the many viewers in many ways. The desire to understand a painting frequently sets up the very barriers that stop us from being fully moved and touched by the heart of the work, and the artist. To truly feel what the artist was conveying, we have to let go of all desires and simply allow ourselves to be immersed in the art. In spite of all the words spoken, and all the knowledge of hidden messages in the symbols the painting contains, in the end, it will be the inner voice of the viewer that senses the core of the work. The viewer of any work of art has to approach it with an open mind, the closed mind can only close the door of understanding. The depth of creativity is not always the easiest thing to grasp. Lao Tzu says this...