Sometimes you just have to work, and making artwork in theory, is work to me, but it certainly doesn't feel like other work I have done in the past, like teaching or working in retail. I often feel very thankful that I have time to sit and paint or make even if it's only for half and hour during a busy day of parenting. Often, I have to make the time to work, not only on the making, but working on the finer details of running a little business, like photo shoots, data entry of product descriptions, website maintenance, organising business cards and tags and so on.
This week I have been inspired by a few things. One was a short video about Australian printmaker, Sarah Amos's practice. Amos explained that she is just someone who wakes up and has to make marks. I can totally relate to this statement as I feel compelled to make marks too. Happiness can be that simple I thought.
The other, was an article I read in Dumbo Feather (Issue 35) magazine about Dr Saamdu Chetri, who teaches happiness. He explains, "What is enough for me? What is my purpose on this earth, what should I be leaving behind?" What a remarkable man and what an insightful article to read. Why do our politicians seem to not consider our Gross National Happiness as equal to the success of our economy? In fact isn't the happiness of a population more important then our monetary profits? Wouldn't happier people produce a better outcome anyway? These are some of the concepts that Dr Saamdu shares. More significantly he tells the real story about Bhutan and how it has been transformed. The country has 'implemented a program of modernisation based not on amassing wealth, but on boosting the happiness of it's people. This in turn has lead the economy of Bhutan to grow to the point where in 2007 it was the world's second fastest growing economy.'
Quotes from Chetri:
"I think it's high time to be out in the world, because it is crumbling now, as a result of excessive production of consumerism."
"But the problem is, when a person walks in from a developed nation and looks at us, they say, 'Oh these people are very poor, how can they be happy?'"
"If you cut all the trees in Australia and sell them, your GDP will rise like anything. But what happens to the ecology around you?"
"This spiritualism does not mean that you have to be religious, it's about taking a few moments out of your material life, giving those moments back to yourself in meditation."
I realised that life can be made so simple and people can focus on what makes them happy and live a happy life doing all the happy things they love to do. What will I be leaving behind? Well I often think about this blog, my artwork and my passion to create and I guess these are things that I would like to leave behind; markers of my time here on the planet. I am after-all someone who wakes up and is compelled to express what I see, feel and think.
So perhaps I can make work with a positive message. I hope that each piece I make can exude happy vibes to its owner forever. I hope that the viewer can stop and think about what makes them happy and go ahead and do their happy thing. This is a place I personally have been working from. To transfer the hope to the viewer. For there is enough negativity and pain in the world and I need to focus on creating a space for the beauty to unfold.
Hand colouring a print.
My precious bottle of gold paint.
Detail of a painted print.
Two test pieces - finished late last night by midnight.
The print I painted today while my son slept.
The print left on my desk for later tonight or tomorrow.....