"The stupid believe that to be truthful is easy; only the artist, the great artist, knows how difficult it is."
-- Willa Cather
Many of us imagine living as a work of art, but few consider the difficulties. First, you must dig down deep to where your inner artist lies trapped in a spirit-crushing day job. Having unearthed your unruly visions, you must then be willing to suffer for them. You must consent to be a rough draft much of the time. You must be prepared to destroy yourself in order to create yourself anew. You must revel in the hardness of your hammer, showing no pity to the forsaken shards littering the dropcloth of your life. Finally, having offered yourself up as the willing clay of your own imagination, you must note, with some chagrin, that your inner artist is a drunken, moody son-of-a-bitch.
I am a difficult canvas.
Reprinted with permission from "Daily Afflictions" by Andrew Boyd, published by W.W. Norton. To order a copy, click here
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