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Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 11:47 AM
Michelangelo is often quoted as having said that inside every block of stone or marble dwells a beautiful statue; one need only remove the excess material to reveal the work of art within.
When I read this the other day it caused a complete mind-shift for me. You see, I'm a firm believer in the hustle, the drive and working hard for the things we want. I have always thought of creative growth as an additive experience. In other words, the more things we do, the more hours we log behind the camera, the more experience we attain, the more knowledge we acquire.... the better artist and better photographer I will be.
What Michelangelo suggests is that the talent and the power already resides within us. It is simply a matter of chipping away at the "excess material" in order to tap into those beautiful parts of who we are.
Just sit and think about that for a second... What if it was never about the addition, but rather, it is about peeling back and chipping away at the excess material of our fears & insecurities in order to get to that place of complete potential that resides within us. Rather than placing so much importance on making additions in our life, it seems equally important that we go about subtracting the excess that weighs us down. The excess that stands in our way.
It really made me think, What is standing in my way? What excess material or thoughts do I need to chip away at to reveal the beauty that I know resides within me?
Just a thought to ponder... It really got me thinking over the past week about my own fears and how letting go of those reveals a more beautiful part of me that needs to show it's face.
Maybe it gets one of you thinking too.
The cutie in this picture is my sweet friend Tiffany's daughter, Addey :) The closest thing to purity, innocence and complete beauty... no chipping away needed. Addey is a beautiful work of art.
Thoughts
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I feel like I have my feet in different pastures on this. I really like the interpretation of removing unwanted elements in order to become a better artist, or more generally person. But I still think Michelangelo could also be talking about vision. To be able to look at a block and see a beautiful statue. I think it works on both levels at the same time. One needs to remove the unnecessary in the quest for purity, but we also need to know what is necessary for purity before we can do that. The more experience and understanding we have the better we are at cleaning ourselves up.
Thanks for the thought-provoking post!
Definitely need to hear that today... during a changing time. Thank you!
Amen to that! thanks for your thoughts :D
This really strikes a chord in me. It reaffirms that I need to stop questioning my work so much for one.
Amen Sarah! What makes you so special, is that you question everything. It is beautiful, refreshing and inspiring. You go girl!
Thanks for sharing this. You have a gift of encouragement. ;)
Thanks for sharing this. So very helpful to hear encouraging words from someone who has gone before us. ;)
Great blog post! I agree. There are so many distractions in life that sometimes it takes getting rid of excess to find the person God made each of us to be.
Wow... I have a lot to think about after reading this blog post!! Good stuff!
@Carl Z hey buddy! No I have never read it but it is on my current list (which keeps getting longer) maybe I'll have to bump that book up to the top. Thanks for the rec.
yeah, i was JUST (as in 5 minutes before I read this) thinking about my own fears and insecurities and wondering what I ought to do about them. i guess i'll keep thinking about them for the time being... thanks for the encouragement to ponder!
Love this post, Sarah. Very insightful! It's crazy to think it (our truth) is all within us. I think a lot of it just depends on how we choose to believe in ourselves. ;D Keep up the amazing work! You are an inspiration.
Have you read The War of Art? Very similar in thought to what Michelangelo is talking about here but uses language of resistance. It's another one of those must reads for artists.
Awesome post! Thanks for sharing.
What a great message. I come to this blog to see the beautiful person and the fun relationships (between you, Chris, and your clients) just as often as I come for inspirational images. Your ability to write, in such a vulnerable and passionnate way, is one of the raw materials you possess that I admire.
What a great message. I come to this blog to see the beautiful person and the fun relationships (between you, Chris, and your clients) just as often as I come for inspirational images. Your ability to write, in such a vulnerable and passionnate way, is one of the raw materials you possess that I admire.
thank you for this. really needed that.
I needed to read this. THANK YOU!
You gotta love the "Babba". Kids are brutally honest and never hold back... You gotta love em..
Reminds me of our talk. Have you read the Agony and the Ecstasy, too? Great post.
Great post. I've spent many long nights thinking about how to chip away the superfluous. It has always been a struggle for me, because I am the type that, by nature, try's to improve and increase by adding...rather than subtracting.
Awesome insight - I love your blog!! Fantastic message today. Keep up the amazing, inspiring, uplifting work.
Love this Sarah! And tweeted about it too. I've heard that quote often and it always makes me stop and think whether I'm pushing forward and adding or chipping away and letting what already exists come to life. A subtle yet powerful shift.
Thanks for sharing your take on it!
http://twitter.com/tasradawson
This is really beautiful. Thanks for sharing, because it got me thinking too! Time to start chipping away at what's keeping me back. :)