what writing and painting have taught me
about art and life and how it can help you do the same
why do you like the things you like?
"Pay particular attention to the moments that take your breath away - a beautiful sunset, an unusual eye colour, a moving piece of music, the elegant design of a complex machine." - The Creative Act, Rick Rubin
If you had to list down all your favourite things in the world, would you be able to uncover patterns in why you like the things you like?
I'm in this odd space where with everything I come across, I'm trying to take one metaphorical step back (kind of like peering from behind my eyes??) and asking: ‘do I like this? If yes, why am I so drawn to it?’
I want to take writing and art more seriously this year - and so my enjoyment of both is starting to take on a more analytical slant. For example, I am listening to this piano playlist this lovely Saturday morning, and I just about fell in love with the picture of roses they chose as a video cover. Why? Because I've been dabbling in oil pastels, and have always been drawn to people who were able to convey emotion through colours and textures (in this case, it was serenity and calm in the freshness of spring).
These few weeks I also find myself poring through the diaries of Anaïs Nin and Susan Sontag. Yes - they do write really well, but it is their unfiltered prose that I am finding so incredibly magnetic. I think it’s because they make me feel less alone in my compulsive need to journal constantly, everyday, documenting anything and everything from the mundane to the magnificent.
The more personally interesting exercise now, is to ask: why is it that I enjoy writing and painting so much? And why does it has to be these two forms of expression?
I love both for two broad reasons. One: I love what they both consistently teach me about art. Two: I love that they both consistently teach me about myself.
one: I love what writing and painting consistently teach me about art (and also, life)
"All great art contains at its center contemplation, a dynamic contemplation." - As Consciousness is Harnessed to Flesh, Susan Sontag (I love this quote so much!!)
It's difficult to create something truly beautiful without slow, deliberate practice. To elevate the quality of anything you produce, you need to pay close to attention to where your weakness lie and double down on them. Believing that you’ll magically improve with blind practice is wishful thinking!
The extra details matter significantly in producing something 'whole'. The pieces I find most beautiful have seamless signposting, lyrical prose and powerful insights. In painting, the pieces I am most proud of are those where I am conscientious in getting the my colour values right, and those where I ensure that every little stroke add up in the right way. Going the extra mile can truly elevate a piece from 'meh' to 'stunning'.
Sure, practising consideration and intentionality go a long way in art. But so do intuition and letting your words/paint strokes flow. A mastery of art…and life, is probably also a mastery of knowing when and how to use both.
Art is a great way to express care and appreciation for another, in a way that is uniquely yours.
It's so challenging to create beauty without love. And because any sort of art requires investment (of time, of resources $$), the only way to get good is find the media that you feel an affinity for. And to do so, you probably need to test different mediums and find the one that makes your heart sing. The medium that you can't imagine life without (me: writing, for as long as I remember). The medium that brings to life the things you find beauty in life (me: painting, for now).
two: I love that they both consistently teach me about myself
Writing and painting are the two things create outsized levels of fulfilment for me. Like - nothing comes close. Do you know how runners indulge in the infamous runner's high after a 10km run? I feel like I'm floating on a cloud, doing my happy wiggle dance, every time I publish an essay or complete a new watercolour piece.
In any sort of practice, one will face something called 'resistance', a force deeply expanded upon in Steven Pressfield's book The War of Art. What resistance does is it stops you from pursuing that which you absolutely must. It tells you that you're not good enough, it over-explains and over-rationalises why you shouldn't do the thing, it gets you to procrastinate, etc. You get the idea. It does anything keep you away from honing your craft.
I...am so prone to crumbling at the mere sign of resistance. I even find myself turning away from writing and painting when I'm feeling desolate and stressed - the very moments I need them the most. My solution for the year is block out time each week just for writing and painting. Very much akin to spiritual practice.
Art is supposed to replenish, feed, energise. It is the force that enables flourishing. These benefits multiply, I believe, a hundredfold, if you are practising the sorts of art that are meant for you. I tried crochet and…it didn’t spark joy. I used to dance a long time ago but left because I didn’t think I found a crowd that I enjoyed being around. I haven’t danced in years and don’t see myself going back. On the other hand, I’ve been writing all my life and cannot imagine sanity without at least a journal and pen. I know a friend who feels the same about poetry. Another plays the piano. And another arranges flowers.
So…if you haven’t already, this is your sign to pick up an artistic hobby! Try a few and see which excite you. Bonus points if they manage to plant a seed of yearning within you. Find the one that speaks to you. Make you lose track of time. The one that you look forward to, the one that expands your conception of life and what’s possible.
✿
warmest,
shiying
PS: What role does art play in your life? Do any of the points above resonate with you?What forms of art have you tried and loved? What others did you try and found them unsuitable/lacklustre?
PPS: And also happy early chinese new year 🍊 to all!