Special Guest Article
This issue's Guest Article comes courtesy of Robert Genn, accomplished Canadian Artist. We're pleased to bring you one of Robert's articles from his own Industry–recognized “Twice Weekly Letters of Insight and Inspiration”. We'll be regularly sharing some of Robert's insight and life journey in upcoming A&CNet e-Zine Newsletters.
“The Kauai Ferry”
Alfred Stieglitz said to Georgia O'Keeffe: “A woman can't have kids and also be an artist. I don't want you to have kids.” She didn't. After the recent Stephen King letter (he claims he only works four hours a day) I've been wondering just how much of a professional one might be on four, three, even one hour a day. In the daily letters that come to my inbox there's generally one from a woman who wants to know how she can possibly work it all in.
Here on Kauai I've met a woman who figured it out. She did it along the lines of Stephen King's method. “Two hours every day, rain or shine, even on my birthdays.” In her twenties, when she was starting her family, she decided she could always find two hours a day for work. Trouble was she was only doing it four or five days a month. For her it had to be every day in order to pay off. “I was blessed with a strong sense of the value of my time,” she says. She began to think about it as a ferry that went out at 9 every morning and came back in at 11. She was either on that ferry or she wasn't. Some days she had to rush to catch it, but she pretty well always did. For twenty years. She is now, as they say, rich and famous. Her kids are grown up and have caught their own ferries. She and her husband moved to the island from the lower 48 three years ago. She still works the same hours. She's got the habit. High energy; genuine work. People think she works all the time. She still loves to work. “I wouldn't love it so much if I did it too much,” she says. “And there are other things in life, like grandchildren, bird-watching, loving.”
Here on the patio I'm tossed from wave to wave, surfing on the temporary luxury of no particular direction. For this month at least I'm a roaring dilettante. Here, it's easy. Perhaps this is a good thing. The clouds roll by, the sea-shouldering whales pass, and the vast ocean reminds me there are greater things in this world. There are no ferries to be caught in Kauai.
Esoterica:
When our twins Sara and James came along we turned to Dr. Spock, our child-rearing guide for David, our first. Spock had only one lousy paragraph in there. It said, essentially, “If you're blessed with twins — get help.” We did.
“We work not only to produce but to give value to our time.” (Eugene Delacroix)
“Adopt the pace of nature.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Editorial Comments:
We thank Robert for his way of putting things... We look forward to bringing more of his penmanship to our humble little e-Zine. If you would like to receive Robert Genn's Twice-Weekly service for artists, visit www.painterskeys.com
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Robert Genn, is recognized as one of Canada's most accomplished painters. While his work is well known internationally, and his subjects are universal (he has painted in many countries), he excels in portraying Canada. He is perhaps best known for his work on the West Coast and in the Rocky Mountains. |