Life Before Art

To close out a long week of work, here are two quotes from Vincent van Gogh, an artist who didn't exactly have his shit together, but had some good words nevertheless.

“I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process.”

“The more I think about it, the more I realize there is nothing more artistic than to love others”

I've always liked the idea of "life before art," but the execution is deceptively tricky. Every Friday afternoon's excitement and relaxation is tinged with anxiety about the week to come. What I like about the second quote is the idea that you don't have to put the art outside your mind, but instead embrace the art-love connection (love in the larger sense, the kind that includes barbeques with friends and sunny afternoons in the park), and feed off the art that lies within those moments, rather than being consumed by the stricter definition of art, you know, the kind you produce as your job, the "important" kind that you study and debate.

Happy Friday!

Photo of Sakura Matsuri Festival at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden by PSF via flickr.