CRICKET AND THE ANT
About Zen and archery I agree with you. Then about sports and practice, the relation is obvious. But in painting — visual arts in general , practice works just for the artizan aspect of it. . For the creation of a piece of art , if the talent and the inspiration are absent , you can practice ad nauseam — you will improve the technique but you will not create anyhing unique…
Of course, practice is always a good thing. Except when one is lazy. Like me. I don’t know yet how talented I am as a writer. I could excel at school and at the University with the least work . Not only classes on language and literature, but in general . I do not know if ability to learn fast is considered a talent. I know I have a talent for learning languages. The rest remaines to be discovered …hopefully before the age of 80! Peferably while I am still alive and capable to exploit whichever talent I might have been blessed with.
Let us say that if one has no talent , practice will not generate it. At the same time, if talented, one can get away with as little practice possible. Nobody is perfect.
Apropos perfection — did you know about the carpet weavers — the ones that make the traditional (yet always unique), priceless carpets — like Persian, Turkish, Morrocan … It is actually a story about the carpet making and faith. Maybe it can be compared to the one about Zen and archery .
Each carpet is made with a small INTENTIONAL IMPERFECTION. Why ? It is the artist’s statement that only God’s creations are pefection. These little imperfections have grown to become an individual signature at the same time, by which each carpet can be identified as an authentic work of a particular artist weaver.
Actually if it is the art of dancing for example , practice is essential. Archery , absolutely. Music — whether an instrument or singing, yes. Practice is essetial. If it is composition, no. …. I guess if a creative activity is physical by its nature , practice plays an essential role. If the art and its creation are more of an intellectual nature , one can get away without too much practice.
Now just another word about being lazy. Once involved — visited by the muse — I lose all sense of time. I can sit znd write for 8 , even 10 hours without a break. I even forget to eat or drink. So I guess my laziness is relative. It is as if “lazy” disappears the moment inspiration shows up. The moment inspiration goes , laziness is back. Is it a kind of “selective laziness”? Is it maybe just a dislike of repetitive mindless activity? How exactly would you explain that?
