An ominous image of Jackson Pollock standing in front of the blank canvas that would eventually become one of the most significant paintings in Modern Art’s history.
“And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? — From the NewTestament
The wish here is to talk about faith, not in religious terms, but in human terms. What does having faith imply? In essence, two things: a belief in oneself and a belief in the universe (i.e. forces outside of oneself.)
This is difficult in a rationally-based world. Today, more than ever, we worship and follow the things that we can count and measure: time, money, the amount of things we own (or don’t), the number of likes or friends on social media. We don’t like to rely on faith. We want hard rational facts. Unfortunately, life is hardly rational and neither is art. In fact, we could go as far as say that the most important things in life aren’t so rational at all — like love and friendship. Their bewildering nature is why I believe it’s what makes them mysterious AND magnificent. Real living requires affirmative action without certainty.
“Art is such an action. It is a kindred form of action to idealism. They are both expressions of the same drive, and the man who fails to fulfill this urge in one form or another is as guilty of escapism as the one who fails to occupy himself with the satisfaction of bodily needs. In fact, the man who spends his entire life turning the wheels of industry so that he has neither time nor energy to occupy himself with any other needs of his human organism is by far a greater escapist than the one who developed his art. For the man who develops his art does make adjustments to his physical needs. He understands that man must have bread to live, while the other cannot understand that you cannot live by bread alone.” — Mark Rothko, Artist
No. 14 by Mark Rothko. Astonishingly simple, Rothko’s work speaks to us in ways that are way beyond the technical.
But how do we get beyond the obsessions of our fastidious mind, the one so tediously concerned with counting and measuring the value of ourselves and that of society? And why should we trust in a world which has tendered ample evidence of cruelty, inequality and tragedy? The answer is because we must. The alternative — a cold and selfish machine-like world empty of a soul or conscience — is unthinkable. Even in our modern world loaded with options by which to inebriate or pacify oneself, at some point we wake up to the reality of life; the awareness that comes when our mind, body and heart meet. And we begin to ask, is this worth the trouble? Our rational mind can never find an answer that satisfies. It’s ironic, but a grossly superficial and calculating view of life is highly impractical. It’s only with and through faith that we carry on in spite of world seemingly gone mad.
“There is no salvation in becoming adapted to a world which is crazy.” — Henry Miller, Writer
What can we do to improve our faith? Here are some ideas to ponder:
a) Believing in your destiny.
Know that we all have some sort of purpose here. Many things had to go “right” for us to be born, to be alive during the times that we live in. Many sacrifices have been made and stars were aligned. Why doubt this. For it is fact. Even if the universe’s gift to you is pure chance — just dumb luck — it’s statistically a miracle that we exist here and now. So do something to show your gratitude.
“Luck is a component that a lot of people in the arts sometimes fail to recognise: that you can have talent, perseverance, patience, but without luck you will not have a successful career.” — Bryan Cranston, Actor
b) Knowing that you can only fall so far.
The ground is only several feet down from our bottoms! I’m always astonished how we all (myself included!) love to pile on fears that paralyze our thinking and our ability to perform. To lift off the burden of our fears — which are only guesses about what “might” happen — lightens the load on the heart and body. It’s too easy to forget that we entered the world naked and without possessions. In that view, everything we get is bonus.
““He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” — Epictetus, Philosopher
c) Understanding that you will be confronted with pain and failure.
This is guaranteed. Even the lucky run of out of luck eventually. Once aware of the possibility (and likelihood) of failure we can relax. We can accept truth. We can accept suffering. Then we can be smart and focus on the process again and believe in what we’re doing. Once we understand something, fear succumbs to courage.
“We are all failures — at least the best of us are.” — J.M. Barrie, Writer
d) Knowing that taking chances allows for great things to happen.
Everyday I have to remind myself this. To tell ourselves that good is not good enough sets a standard by which to live — a standard that says, we have to keep raising the standards. To do this means to take chances. I believe this is the only path towards overcoming the “statistically” impossible, the only way to reach our dreams, and the only way to a better world.
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” — Robert F. Kennedy, Former US Attorney General.
e) That rules are not enough.
Even the best rules and guidelines — including these 10 Rules For Creative Living — will lose its effect on you. Discipline without faith burns out. We’re human. Having faith means retaining the right to fall and the responsibility to rebuild ourselves. Faith says “get back up” when we need to. Faith allows us to persevere.
“Perseverance, secret of all triumphs.” — Victor Hugo, Writer
f) Respecting the universe and its laws.
Who are we to pretend to know what will happen tomorrow? Karmic forces are surprisingly subtle. Whether it be science, religion or the fiction that fills our libraries, it’s been made clear that all things come attached to other things. We know that discipline builds character and good habits are as contagious as bad ones. We know that failure begets growth. Even suffering and loss has its own — yet often veiled — benefits.
“What we notice in stories is the nearness of the wound to the gift; the one who is wounded is marked out — literally and symbolically — by the wound. — Jeanette Winterson, Writer
Chuck Close was born with a prosopagnosia —the inability to recognize faces — yet went on to become one of the most famous portrait artists in the world. He continues to work on his super large scale paintings even after becoming partially disabled and confined to a wheelchair.
Summary:
Have faith. Believe in yourself and believe in a universe that’s much bigger, greater and more magnanimous than yourself. Dare to be an optimist.
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.