The
first guest-artist of THE SECRETS OF PERFECTION accidentally was Canadian
Jim Rowe.
The
first guest-artist-writer again is Canadian -- Robert Genn.
In
my opinion the first secret of perfection is work, work and once again
work.
That
is why I want to suggest for your attention Robert's letter to Artist
about discipline. His pedagogic ambitions are tremendous and I hope will
be interesting for you.
.
Dear Artist,
.
During the last few days I’ve been thinking a lot about discipline. Woody
Allan noted that one of the important virtues in his profession is the
ability to
show up. When you look around and see just who all the successful artists
are, you find a high percentage that are simply on the job. Discipline
means
putting your art-work ahead of other concerns. It means having the
structure to get down to work, perhaps right away every morning, perhaps
by regulating yourself in such a way that the work-hours flow naturally
as
the core activity of your being.
.
At times we all tend toward procrastination and avoidance. It takes
character and application to overcome all human weaknesses. Sometimes I
think that character has more to do with the artistic life than talent.
It’s
certainly more important than getting breaks or winning grants.
There are many different ways of bringing discipline to our work.
Self-knowledge will lead you to the method that’s best for you. Give a
little
thought to these ideas: You may manage your time in a workmanlike way.
You may monitor your productivity by the pieces you produce. You may
give yourself joy and pleasure and you may wish to stay in that state.
You
may measure your satisfactions by the problems you solve.
.
I was watching a man operating a back-hoe in the rain near my home. He
was on the job at seven and he worked till four, managing his machine in
a
surprisingly delicate and creative manner. He was a maestro. Surely, I
thought, I’m able to put in that sort of time and delight at my easel.
I can do
