SPOTLIGHT
MURPHY'S LAW
An Artist's Perspective
Text and Photography By Douglas Schwartz
As good ol' Murphy famously proclaimed…"Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."
I've got to say...I'm getting a bit sick of Murphy and his damn law! At this stage of the game in my life, I'd prefer to be wallowing in the
sunshine of carefree days while eating bon bons, all the while vaguely remembering "problems" as unfortunate occurrences of my
early career as an artist. As a realist who is fully aware of the fact that problems are a never-ending source of irritation throughout the
cycle of this life, however, I've come to expect them at nearly every turn. Because of this mental posture, I am never disappointed.
Let's face it. The life of an artist is never an easy one. Technical problems as well as other gremlins in the creative cog can delay the
best laid plans of even the most dedicated artist. Such is the case regarding my latest book which I've hinted at on several occasions
in past issues of Artists Are Always Right. While this book project will most assuredly be completed and published soon, it has been
ever so slightly delayed due to circumstances beyond my control. Rather than bore you with the details, I will instead get to the point
of this SPOTLIGHT.
Artists need to be extremely flexible and never allow problems to prevent them from ultimately achieving their goals. Artists must never
allow roadblocks to get in their way. Artists must be resolute. This applies to artists working in all disciplines. It doesn't matter if you're
a visual, performing or literary artist. We are all trying to create something new or different...that special "something" which expresses
why we are here.
A guitarist or violinist shouldn't end a performance if a string breaks. An architect shouldn't abandon a project if their computer-aided
design software goes flaky. A filmmaker shouldn't throw their film in the garbage heap of cinema if their camera fails to operate
correctly...and a painter shouldn't unstretch their canvas and return the fabric to the textile mill if the paints they're using turn out to be
crappier than bird droppings. I could go on, but I think you get my point.
I vividly recall another time in my life as an artist when a multitude of problems seemed to prevent Karen and I from accomplishing
another major project. This particular endeavor was something quite different than anything we had ever undertaken before.
Numerous technical and other creative challenges stood in our way. At times we felt like giving up. We stuck to it, however, and
pushed on. We didn't allow the problems to stop us. In case you're wondering, that creative project was an art journal by the name
of Artists Are Always Right. Four years later, it is still going strong!
Solving problems and then attempting to move forward may, at times, reveal even more problems. Another of Mr. Murphy's laws
illustrates this unfortunate fact of life. It goes like this..."The light at the end of the tunnel is just the light of an oncoming train." If that
is so, remember that all an artist needs to do is step aside, allow the train to pass by, and then proceed along the track of creativity
to eventual victory.
To put it in another and, I believe, more philosophically poetic way...if you find yourself confronting a snowy trail that hinders you
from reaching your destination, continue on nonetheless, knowing in your heart that your persistence and determination as an artist
will take you to where you want to go. Just be sure that you don't forget to admire the view along the way!
I've got to say...I'm getting a bit sick of Murphy and his damn law! At this stage of the game in my life, I'd prefer to be wallowing in the
sunshine of carefree days while eating bon bons, all the while vaguely remembering "problems" as unfortunate occurrences of my
early career as an artist. As a realist who is fully aware of the fact that problems are a never-ending source of irritation throughout the
cycle of this life, however, I've come to expect them at nearly every turn. Because of this mental posture, I am never disappointed.
Let's face it. The life of an artist is never an easy one. Technical problems as well as other gremlins in the creative cog can delay the
best laid plans of even the most dedicated artist. Such is the case regarding my latest book which I've hinted at on several occasions
in past issues of Artists Are Always Right. While this book project will most assuredly be completed and published soon, it has been
ever so slightly delayed due to circumstances beyond my control. Rather than bore you with the details, I will instead get to the point
of this SPOTLIGHT.
Artists need to be extremely flexible and never allow problems to prevent them from ultimately achieving their goals. Artists must never
allow roadblocks to get in their way. Artists must be resolute. This applies to artists working in all disciplines. It doesn't matter if you're
a visual, performing or literary artist. We are all trying to create something new or different...that special "something" which expresses
why we are here.
A guitarist or violinist shouldn't end a performance if a string breaks. An architect shouldn't abandon a project if their computer-aided
design software goes flaky. A filmmaker shouldn't throw their film in the garbage heap of cinema if their camera fails to operate
correctly...and a painter shouldn't unstretch their canvas and return the fabric to the textile mill if the paints they're using turn out to be
crappier than bird droppings. I could go on, but I think you get my point.
I vividly recall another time in my life as an artist when a multitude of problems seemed to prevent Karen and I from accomplishing
another major project. This particular endeavor was something quite different than anything we had ever undertaken before.
Numerous technical and other creative challenges stood in our way. At times we felt like giving up. We stuck to it, however, and
pushed on. We didn't allow the problems to stop us. In case you're wondering, that creative project was an art journal by the name
of Artists Are Always Right. Four years later, it is still going strong!
Solving problems and then attempting to move forward may, at times, reveal even more problems. Another of Mr. Murphy's laws
illustrates this unfortunate fact of life. It goes like this..."The light at the end of the tunnel is just the light of an oncoming train." If that
is so, remember that all an artist needs to do is step aside, allow the train to pass by, and then proceed along the track of creativity
to eventual victory.
To put it in another and, I believe, more philosophically poetic way...if you find yourself confronting a snowy trail that hinders you
from reaching your destination, continue on nonetheless, knowing in your heart that your persistence and determination as an artist
will take you to where you want to go. Just be sure that you don't forget to admire the view along the way!
Artwork featured in this SPOTLIGHT © copyright Douglas Schwartz. All rights reserved.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 ISSUE
