What shows
how little
we know?
What can be is
oft far less than
what we expect.
What is now
has never been
what it was.
07/25/2024 j.g.l.
value beyond
Simplicity.
Is there emotion in austerity?
Humanity?
What do you see when attempting
to define your limited visibility?
Minimalism, abstract impressionism
or incorporeal thought.
Less is more, but is it enough?
Texture, tone, and value beyond
your current scene. If you take it to an
extreme, you will question
what it means.
What is really there?
What line do you cross?
Can simplicity be complicated, or
should it even be attempted?
07/23/2024 j.g.l.
Mondays are just young Fridays
Things will not go as planned. Intentions will be disrupted, even overlooked, in the aftermath of an unexpected reality.
Where you are headed will not be the place you end up, undoubtedly or undeniably. No matter how hard you attempt to make each gesture, brushstroke, promise, prayer, or pastime as perfect as you believe it can be, many times you will not arrive at a perceived destination. All too often your endeavors never hit the mark; at times your work may be better than expected (celebrate those moments), but everything (even your judgement) is subjective.
You are not limited to, or by, the colours in your paintbox or progression of your process.
Imagination is as limited or expansive as you want it to be. Give it time to blossom; in certain instances, you may even have to reel it in. This is all about possibilities, no matter which media, method, or style you are beholden to.
You owe your art (or life) nothing but your presence; the value comes from the practice, as rudimentary or spontaneous as it is or will become.
07/22/2024 j.g.l.
I'm like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.
j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.
Mondays are just young Fridays
Posted on October 31, 2016 by j.g.lewis
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I took a walk yesterday. I came up with some excuse that I needed to go shopping for something, so I went out. I probably didn’t need what I thought I needed, not right then, but I went out anyway.
It was a reason to get away from what I should have been doing. I’ve got a lot to do, and I believed a full and free Sunday would allow me the time to make a good dent. I need to make some progress.
But, from the moment I woke, I allowed myself to do a few other things. These were things I also needed to get done, but they were things I could do anytime. I did them anyway.
I was procrastinating.
I do that sometimes. I find an excuse to put off projects and I know I shouldn’t, but I do anyway. That’s pretty much the dictionary definition of procrastination, and yesterday fit the exact description.
I strolled towards my intended destination. I almost stopped for coffee but avoided the delay (another word for procrastinating). As I walked, and as I looked, I began to take notice of the graffiti that smears the city. Often I will stop and photograph the bits and pieces that catch my eye. Sometimes they will appear in this space as a daily breath; little thoughts that get me thinking.
Sometimes the messages are strong, almost a sign.
“The will must be stronger than the skill.”
This graffiti hit home.
I know what I have to do, and I’ve got what it takes to get it done. I have less time to do it in (especially after wasting much of yesterday), and still I put it off. I can’t figure out why.
I have the skill, but have I lost the will?
If you want to do something, to accomplish anything, you’ve got to keep pushing. You have to be able to put off all the distractions and indulgences (and excuses), and forge ahead with your intended purpose.
It takes willpower, more than skillpower.
So I took the writing on the wall to heart and I turned around. I never made it to the store to get whatever I thought I needed. I sat down and got back to work on my project, and I got it done.
Well, I didn’t actually complete what I started, but I will.
Willpower.
j.g.l.
