Steadiness.


26

 Steadiness.



One of the greatest dangers of the creative person and the thinking mind is the constant struggle to keep the attention concentrated in a productive way, to calm the flighty mind. So often we seem to be considering this and then a moment later something else pops into the brain and off we go this way and that.

It is not only with the mind, but a project will also be commenced and before almost the blink of time another. Some artists can be working on many canvases at any one time. It is called multi-tasking but what in reality it means is that no one artwork is getting full attention.

The sage speaks these wise words, "Being still is the master of unrest."

Those who are in tune with the beauty of nature and the world around can find keeping the senses under control a very difficult thing to accomplish. Flooded with captivating flowers, trees, birds and animals the mind and senses travel from one thing to another and in reality, we begin to lose our bearings and direction.

Those living in the Tao stay calm and the creative energy is harnessed and guided enabling the project started to reach completion. Anything else is to act without thought and this, in turn, leads to a loss of self-control, the quality of art is often the price that is paid.

From time to time there is a wisdom in returning to the familiar. There is a time to expand. There is a time to experiment. There is no harm in there being a time of dwelling in the comfort of the known.

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