Taschen for a sunny day

It was Saturday. A sunny, cloudless day with hardly any wind. It was the kind of day to stay at home and doze off until one cannot bear any more sleep. Yet if one must do so, not willingly but coercively as a responsible citizen during the pandemic, it becomes a rather difficult task.

Every plan and goal was postponed. The distant future has never been so distant. In this situation, a nice sleep seemed wrongful even wicked when no effort was to be made. What should one do? The most befitting answer would be to read about the life of others, that way one can live vicariously through stories of those that have reached the height of their ability.

…

There is not much of a difference between the lives of the artists and those of the rest of the world. They sleep, eat, mess up, break off promises and fail just the same as we do. But what makes them so fascinating to read is that they wanted and believed that they can do greater things, for better or worse.

The unpalatable truth is that happiness lies within hardship, not beyond. Misery is not hard to attain. One just needs to give up and ceaselessly reject the possibility of ever being happy again. By believing a blow from life is enough to destroy us all, one may never see the silver lining even if it is within reach. There are hardly any prominent human beings allowing hardships to overpower them. Because only in the face of adversity would one’s true identity reveal.

Letting things come naturally and accept them for what they are is nevertheless inherently different from drawing troubles into life for ideas and inspiration. Even the renowned tortured artist like Van Gogh had never once wished his life so grim. Indeed, many of his best works were produced when his mental health was showing signs of improvement. We harness from our experiences, not the bitter and painful feeling of vanquishment.

…

The last ray of sunshine fractured as it passed through the window, leaving a flash of prismatic light on the ground. The day was coming to an end, so fast yet rather pleasantly in the company of the artists.

Written in 2/2021