This is how all my projects begin.

There is no red, green or blue. A complete absence of content or meaning. Anything can exist there. Any form. All possible worlds. But for now, it is the computational equivalent of nothingness.

Darkness within darkness. The gate to all mystery.

When I decided to attend art school, I was going to major in painting. I had a decent technique. I knew what paints to buy. I knew which brushes would last the longest. I would buy a large canvas, prep it with gesso, and then just sit and stare. Making that first mark was hard for me. I envied those that were able to just dive right in, seeming to know exactly where they wanted to end up. I was not like them. I wanted to plan it all out in my head before starting. As a result, I wasn’t a very good painter.

It is like the eternal void: filled with infinite possibilities.

My hesitance stems from not knowing what I want to create. When I start a new project, I occasionally have an idea in mind but far more often I simply want to create something new. I want to start down a path. I do not know where I want to go but I know that I want to go somewhere.

A good traveler has no fixed plans
and is not intent upon arriving.
A good artist lets his intuition
lead him wherever it wants.

All I need to do is place brush to canvas. The simple act of starting is enough. I need not know where I want to go. By simply going, regardless of which direction I choose, I will be well on my way. Even if I do not yet know where that destination lies.

A journey of a thousand li begins with a single step.

Next up: Taking that first step.

The quotes in this post are from the Tao Te Ching, as interpreted by either Stephen Mitchell or Jane English and Gia-fu Feng.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 29th, 2009 at 12:40 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.