“Try not to become a person of success, but rather a person of value.” – Albert Einstein

Like most quotes floating around the interwebz, this one appears in various wordings, but Einstein really did say this, in so many words, and it’s a lesson artists find themselves learning over and over again.

Here’s what Einstein actually said:

“Never lose a holy curiosity. Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value. He is considered successful in our day who gets more out of life than he puts in. But a man of value will give more than he receives.” (The quote, according to the website Quote Investigator, appeared in the May 2, 1955 issue of LIFE magazine, published shortly after the great man’s death.)

Stephen Quiller, Ousel Bird, Hidden Falls, watercolor

 

 

 

So, how could curiosity be considered “holy“? Curiosity is holy, just as awe and joy are holy, when they fill us with a profound sense of wonder at the intrinsic beauty and value of life and our potential in the world as fully alive and naturally creative, giving individuals.

Curiosity “has its own reason for existence,” Einstein believed – which I take to mean that curiosity isn’t about “finding the answer” or solving any particular puzzle or problem. Curiosity as a state of mind is an end in itself. A holy curiosity feeds the creative soul. Painting – and the new ways it invites us to see the world around us – offers an approach to life’s mysteriously beautiful moments, a fascinating way, “to taste life twice,” in the words of writer Anais Nin. “Love the questions,” the poet Rilke advised.

Kyle Buckland, Morning’s Arrival, oil

 

Creative individuals spark inspiration by asking, ‘What if?,’ not with any goal in mind, but with a sense of adventure and an openness to “what might happen” and what new paths forward as-yet-unknown results will open up. The way to shut this down is to instantly judge results as “good” or “bad” – right or wrong – so lock that voice away in the shed for a while! You’ll need it later, but inspiration comes when you consider some new combination, accident, or unexpected result as a potential starting place for something “new and strange.”
At least half of what professional artists do comprises the business of selling and promoting their art. But trying too hard to be, or to remain, “a success” in the world’s eyes often blinds us to our true passions and powers. Everyone comes to the table with a different personality, a different set of experiences and values, and most importantly a different set of strengths and weaknesses.

Oil by Cheri Christensen

Find what your strengths are – ask what you can give to the world – and do that rather than waiting for the world to tell you what you do is awesome or trying to give what isn’t yours to begin with.
You will find that when you are doing something of value, something you really believe in, doors open up to you. Authentic work will find its audience. And your passion for meaningful artwork is what will keep you going when those dark entrepreneurial days come calling.

Henri Matisse, Nuit de Noel

“Another word for creativity is courage.”
― Henri Matisse

Painting “Without a Net”
Joseph McGurl, “Study of Brick and Stone,” 9 x 12 inches, Oil on panel, plein air sketch
On Plein Air Painting > “The plein air sketch forms the basis of all of my art making,” says Joe McGurl. “Despite the fact that many of my studio paintings are completely imagined scenes, they are informed by and based upon thousands of these sketches painted over a 30-year period. Working this way has required a significant amount of time meditating upon, observing, and desperately struggling to interpret nature in paint.

“Knowing that the only reference for developing subsequent studio paintings is what I have studied and painted on site encourages me to dig in and fight for every bit of information I can grasp before I leave the field. Because I am usually able to render the scene before me with enough fidelity to meet my needs, a photo to make corrections is not necessary.

“Plein air painting without photographic reference as a backup is similar to that old cliché of walking a tightrope without a net. It compels one to concentrate at the highest levels.”

Learn more about painting realism landscapes through Joseph McGurl’s PaintTube.TV workshops: Painting Light and Atmosphere and Advanced Landscape Painting (available as a combo set with over 25 hours of in-depth instruction here).