James Chiang

Henri Matisse’s The Parakeet and the Mermaid. Throughout history art has displayed the ability to transmute its audience, breaking all divisions between human beings. Matisse’s magnificent cutouts are a perfect example of the capacity to unify and connect.

“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eye for an instant?” — Henry David Thoreau, Philosopher

I live only for two things: creation and connection. The process of creation brings joy and connecting with the world around us brings meaning. Together they bring fulfillment. To do either requires an understanding of both ourselves and things outside of ourselves. The one enriches the other.

We know by now that the creative act binds us to what’s in front of us — we engage directly with whatever we are to analyze, reinterpret or create. So despite the casual appearance of making art being a solo adventure, it actually isn’t. If we’re drawing a person, we’re connecting with that person. And that very connection, for it to be valid, must have understanding. We cannot create authentically without understanding our subject.

“One cannot be deeply responsive to the world without being saddened very often.” ― Erich Fromm, Psychologist

In the Pixar film Inside Out it’s shown that sadness is as important as joy. Directed by Artie Mandelberg, Pete Docter & Ronnie del Carmen.

Knowledge (i.e. information) is important, and it’s the first part of understanding, but it’s not the most important thing. For deeper understanding, opening our minds up in ways unexpected (and often challenging) is necessary. This requires empathy.

Definition of Empathy:

1: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner also: the capacity for this

2: the imaginative projection of a subjective state into an object so that the object appears to be infused with it

Fundamentally, having empathy means the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It’s about being kind and not just “nice” which is often surface level. It’s looking deeper and giving more deeply. Having an open mind means having an open heart.

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” — Plato, Philosopher

George Miller’s magical creation, Babe, is a wonderful story of a small and seemingly insignificant character whose heart is not only big and brave, but kind and gentle. Its central character, despite being “just a pig,” is arguably one of the most noble characters to have ever graced the screen.

Empathy encompasses the application of almost all the other principles for creative living; honoring (i.e. respecting) others, acknowledging that our own understanding is limited, being prepared for difficulty and failure, having the discipline to do the right thing, detaching from our expectations and experiences so that we don’t judge so hastily, being attentive in the presence of others, and ultimately taking that giant leap of faith of trusting in ourselves and in people.

“I believe empathy is the most essential quality of civilization.” Roger Ebert, Film Critic

“At the Movies with Siskel and Ebert.” I’ve never cared much for critics. But Roger Ebert (right side) was always the exception. He understood film art. His knowledge and love of the craft along with his empathy for artists gave him a step up on everyone else when it comes to talking about movies.

I firmly believe that we would eliminate much of the angst, suffering and violence we impose on ourselves and others if we lived with greater empathy day in and day out. And I don’t believe we can be truly dedicated artists and good human beings if we don’t practice this principle. It’s all too easy to be lazy, judgemental and negative. Succumbing to ignorance and aggression reveals the worst of ourselves by confirming and strengthening our insecurities and selfishness. We become closed off and ignorant. Art is the opposite of that. It bridges geographical, racial, intellectual, and cultural barriers.

“Good looks fade. But a good heart keeps you beautiful forever.” — Meryl Streep, Actress

Meryl Streep (who carries a record 3 Academy Awards and 21 nominations) is arguably the greatest living actor/actress in the world. Her art, in my opinion, gives such an honest idea and feeling of what it’s like to be a woman that even a man (i.e. the opposite sex) can relate and understand.

This rule of empathy marks the final and most important of the 10 Rules for Creative Living. It’s also perhaps the most challenging to remember and act on regularly. Our innate need for survival — in a world obsessed with wealth and status, and troubled by fear and the lack of time — makes being generous and being genuinely thoughtful of others a very difficult thing to do. But it’s of utmost importance that we exercise it. Empathy enables our capacity — and the opportunity to display our courage — to be truly humane.

In summary, let us recap the 10 Rules:

Honor: Find your truth and live it.
Limitations: Devote yourself to only a few things.
Preparation: Know where you’re going and have a plan.
Discipline: Commit to excellence and consistency.
Humility: Think big picture, small ego.
Detachment: Act without desire, expectation or assumption.
Stewardship: Take care of your mind, body and spirit.
Faith: Believe in your gift and trust in the universe.
Presence: Breathe deeply and live attentively.
Empathy: Connect with kindness and understanding.

To live up to the rules here is a daunting task for even the best of us. Each one requires real awareness and effort. But in my experience, striving to live according to these principles is what defines a life worth living. It’s true “pursuit of happiness” — the act of living rather than the attainment of any one thing or ideal, which often ends up being superfluous. Ultimately, it’s a way of living that unites us with each other.*

“We heal up thru being loved, and through loving others. We don’t heal by forming a secret society of one.” — Jeanette Winterson, Writer

*Afterthought: It was a risk to write about these rules for the possibility of being misunderstood or mistaken for pretension or a sense of superiority. I shared these rules with you not to dictate or even educate, but to inspire you to find your own guidelines by which to live by. We all need structure; it’s too hard to live without some sort of path to follow. And it’d be a mistake to live by another’s.

Animals (and small children) live completely in the present. But in Chuck Jones’ hands, the domesticated Marc Anthony displays all the fears and anxieties of a fully-grown human adult, while Pussyfoot behaves like the typical animal/small child who lives fully in the moment. From the animated short, Feed The Kitty.

“The present is not fugitive and transient, but continually present and enduring.” — Martin Buber, Philosopher

We all know about living in the “precious present.” Yet, day in and day out, most of us fail. We’re bombarded by noise externally AND internally. And it’s probably accurate to say that most of us are now accustomed to this noise. Some of us even depend on it. Our fears, desires and tasks are bound to us like a ball and chain, even when they aren’t real or don’t ultimately matter in the big picture.

A famous scene from the Wachowski directed hit film, The Matrix.

So what does being present mean?

a) Breathing

“I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart: I am, I am, I am.” — Sylvia Plath, Writer

Living presently means first breathing. Breathing deeply. We all know that without oxygen animal life ceases to exist. So, to live fully and live fully aware, we must periodically be conscious of our most basic operation of taking in air. Most of us are poor breathers. And we certainly don’t spend much time thinking about it. But many of the most important sources of nutrients and protective bacteria are taken into our bodies via breathing. Furthermore, slow deep breathing calms all of the mind, body and spirit. Very few things in life can offer us that. And it’s free.

b) Seeing

“A painting is not a picture of an experience, but is the experience.” — Mark Rothko, Artist

Most people look but don’t see. Seeing is an art in itself. It needs to be learned and practiced. This is why it’s so important that artists draw. It’s probably the best way to learn to see deeper and clearer. We LOOK HARD and UNOBSTRUCTED when we take note of things. The act of recording — with eyes, ears, and hands — raises our level of connection. This developed sensory acuity enables us to feel its full reality. It’s why most of the greatest artistic creations were done from life or at least inspired from life (and real emotion) whether the end product be representational or abstract.

Portrait of Gregory. British artist David Hockney has made some of the most sincere and authentic portrait studies of the 20th Century. His models consisted mostly of family, friends and close companions.

c) Listening

“That’s what dries a writer up…is not listening. That is where it all comes from. Seeing, listening.” — Ernest Hemmingway, Writer

We can learn to see, but without listening, we won’t absorb the truth. In order to be truly authentic to our hearts or to whatever it is we want to understand or represent in our art, we have to listen. To close our eyes and listen without bias, without preconception. This is how we attend to our creations. Animators, for example, need to spend copious amounts of time just listening to the voice track to see beyond the first impression. And a portrait artist might need to come so close as to almost touch his subject to do the same. Only in such ways do we have any hope of being true or original.

Portrait of the Artist’s Mother. Known to have come as close as an eyelash’s distance from his subjects, Lucien Freud’s process is a testament to careful observation (just look at those paisley designs!) This is pure unadulterated attention, risking all the comfort and securities that come with typical (and often formulaic) representational work.

d) Being Quiet

“Solitude is the place of purification” — Martin Buber, Philosopher

There is nothing like peace and quiet. It settles the mind, and is especially important for the ever-inquisitive mind of an artist. Today, we’re easily swayed by our passions hitching upon the caddy of audio-visual stimuli that bombards our consciousness. To be alone, without sound or speech offers us a counterbalancing offset. It’s unbelievably therapeutic. Finding silence slows everything down and helps to both isolate and expand time into much more flavorful moments.

d) Being mindful

“That’s what we are — a sequence of happenings, of processes, and by being very mindful of the sequences, of the flow, we get free of the concept of the self.” — Joseph Goldstein, Vipassana Teacher

Only thru understanding the ebb and flow of life and accepting its various formations can we live presently with peace, maturity and selflessness. As such, even states of failure, pain or loss can be recognized and then accepted with grace and gratitude. This is far better than veering off into the dark side of negativity; we fear what we don’t understand and awareness prerequisites the understanding that helps to diminish those fears. As Buddhist teachers are known to say; when we sit we know we’re sitting, when we eat we know we’re eating.

Rafiki, from The Lion King. The wise have understanding and thus, live without fear or anxiety.

Summary:

At the end of the day, what we all seek is happiness. For most of us that means a peace of mind and heart — something that brings balance, security and an acute consciousness of our presence on this planet. None of us know the future, and in truth, nor do we actually know that past. Our memories — like everything else in life — are all subject to change. We can only depend on the present. This means being truly attentive to our surroundings and being mindful of whatever we’re doing; breathing, seeing, listening and embracing silence. As life is a sequence of intentions, being present is the only way to do art (or life) properly.