Tuesday, October 18, 2022
When it’s a game, the objective is to play for enjoyment, not to win. When the objective becomes about winning, the game takes on an ominous quality, yuck. Does everything have to be about the product, about winning, or about getting what you think you want?
Being an artist is a lot of work, but a true artist only relishes in their masterpiece for a second, and then moves on to the next creative endeavor. A good artist has sincere love of creating itself, not a “love” of the product. This is the danger of the human mind, we can become obsessive, serious, and somber, if we overthink what we do in work and in life. It seems best when it’s about “playing.” You can focus, and you can work hard, but you don’t have to be so heavily invested in the outcome. It might not be a work of art, but who cares. Just mix the colors, touch the instruments, play with the forms, and enjoy seeing it all come together – or not.
Does everything have to be about the prize? Every time it’s about the product, the atmosphere gets heavy, dark, and burdensome. Take a cue from creation, look at how whimsical it is, like a visual symphony, just billowing out intricacies and beauty (imperfect and askew) for the sheer enjoyment of just playing with forms. Each of creation’s masterpieces die, even the sun will go out one day. So why should we take what we do so seriously? We’d certainly be happier, less somber and serious, if we just enjoyed being with everyone, and playing with everything as if life were one, big game. There’s nothing wrong with working hard, but maybe we could just play for the enjoyment of it all, and leave the outcome to whatever it turns out to be.