The art of becoming

“Becoming,” said Paul Klee, “is superior to being.” I am always leery of such absolute statements or ideas, even my own. All ideas and concepts, even if ‘true,’ are provisional, and reflect various stages of potential growth, understanding, or insight. I would suggest that at a ‘higher’ level of functioning, being and becoming are essentially indistinguishable. What is true in life and art depends upon, firstly, grounding, experience, and perspective. As well as honesty and seriousness. And the ability to transcend, or suspend thought, so as to perceive more directly. An attitude of, for lack of a better word, indifference, is necessary to achieve a mind state capable of engendering the freedom to genuinely engage the creative process. No doubt, my ideas may appear somewhat absolute. The difference, I suggest, is the greater degree of specificity with regard to the creative process, and ones ability to evaluate, in practical terms, the relevant elements sighted. Still, Paul Klee’s quotation, “becoming is superior to being,” and similar statements, if well founded, serve an important purpose; to explore how, and ‘where’ it figures in the creative process generally, and how it relates to an individuals current understanding specifically.

Dear Robert- I usually paint what I see, and if I want to go into the abstract mode, I take a painting I either don’t like, or which didn’t succeed very well, and paint over it, often leaving elements of the under painting showing. Am I “cheating”? I used to think every painting should be “original”, from the canvas on up. Now I’m not sure. Katherine

Don’t trust style. Chasing after it can take you away from yourself.

I also must take issue with this statement: “Becoming,” said Paul Klee, “is superior to being.” I could/should (and maybe even will) write a book about it. One must first ask at what age of his life & stage in his career did he say this- because out of context it’s a cute (but very judgmental) line that doesn’t make much sense. How would you know if becoming is superior if you’ve never made it to Being? Creating art- as with creating anything- is a process. It requires visualization as well as imagination. But if you are an imaginative genius and cannot do the work because of some spiritual- mental or emotional dysfunction you will not manifest your vision. These hang-ups are all material realm things that work to distract you from pursuit of your vision. They are many and varied. Many folks like to think of the materiel plane as school/education- with the potential for learning and growth- lifelong. I myself view it this way. Many folks like to think of this life as a journey- not a destination- and at the end of their lives they’ve had a wonderful experience (a good thing) but never arrived anywhere. Arriving can be relevant. Creating a work of art in any medium is a process (journey) but when you sign the incredible/ridiculous thing- you’ve arrived at a destination. While you may immediately embark on a new journey (or if- like me- you’re already on several journeys simultaneously because you work on more than one piece at a time) to disregard arriving at a destination (being) because the journey is somehow more important flatly suggests you’ve missed the boat WHILE ON IT. For many the growth wheel remains forever a grind. For those pursuing creative self-knowledge the wheel often becomes an upward spiral. Humans tend to think of themselves in terms that can only really be seen as the small self- and they rarely even grow up into the Self. Sorry. Yet what needs to be seen are the several different potential states here. The self. The Self. The SELF. And in viewing this- one can then also see the self as being- Being and BEING. Each is potentially a uniquely understood level of self-attainment. Each different growth stage is essential in the educational unfolding of the creative human- but only humans pursuing the SELF and BEING will ever likely get there. I asked. I received. I opened the door. If I can- anybody can. The resulting experience I’m having I describe as a Direct Experience of the Divine- and/or creative mysticism. And inherent in this is a physical understanding of the body’s propensity to become a radiant BEING of Light/Love. The end result is mastery. SELF MASTERY. One ends and begins in every moment- because the moment is what is most directly being experienced. If one is utilizing one’s creative energies and becoming/being one’s creative self- ONE IS. Out of that state one creates using all faculties available to the SELF. Becoming is not more important. BEING IS. It means you got where you initially intended to while still wearing your physical body. And that then facilitates further more inspired becoming.

THE ART OF BECOMING February 16, 2010 Dear Robert PREFACE: all that I share here, is based on MY GOALS FOR PAINTING, can’t speak for other artist!!! OBVIOUSLY!?!? I SOMEWHAT DISAGREE with your statement: “On the other hand, unless we plan for it, a lot of visual art doesn’t benefit from this sort of process. The painter, in one sitting or ten, may MERELY unfold a vision without the crucible of becoming. Creative failure and visual boredom are the frequent result.”……. EVERY FAILURE on the painted surface (FOR ME!)…. be it only a stroke, or a passage or an entire painting…IS A CRUCIBLE OF BECOMING!!! A DISCOVERY of something “unknown”…It is delving into the unknown regions of MY mind and spirit… not knowing, but possibly only sensing or “feeling” something that needs to be shared, that needs to be discovered, something that might bring beauty, or awareness to whomever chooses to view the creation!……. THERE are times, where almost like magic, every brush stroke is “right on”… and hardly a stroke is changed… and other times, where NOTHING happens but a big mess!! IF THIS ISN’T A “CRUCIBLE OF BECOMING”… I don’t know what is??!?!……. Also, your statement: “Art without style is yesterday’s laundry.”….. SORRY, CAN’T AGREE TO THAT!! Maybe I don’t know what your definition of “style” is?!?!……. PERSONALLY, IF AN ARTIST IS ONLY WORRIED ABOUT STYLE… (how they apply the paint to the surface) THEY HAVE ALREADY MISSED THE BOAT!!! “A STYLE” to me, is no more than the “sound of a person’s voice” (a person using someone else’s “voice” is called ” an impersonator”)… a “style” is not “made up” … it is not “picked out” like a pair of shoes at a store… A PERSON’S STYLE IS the final expression that comes from a person’s very soul, it is how THEY apply the paint!!! IT SHOULD FLOW NATURALLY, ALMOST WITHOUT THOUGHT. BUT WITH TIME, IT IS A CONSTANT “BECOMING”……. To me, as an artist, it is my GOAL (my “becoming”) to capture an inner FEELING of what I am viewing, and hopefully be successful, so that I can share that with the viewing world…so that I can open a door of understanding, appreciation, and maybe even LOVE, of the greatness that surrounds us!!… (Actually, one of the greatest compliments I have ever received, even over a sale, is when people come up to me and say: “I will never look at a sunset again, without thinking of you! I just never saw the COLOR that happens!!! THANK YOU!”) I believe that when an artist “gets out of the way” and allows their inner feelings to flow thru their brush…. They are in a constant state “of becoming”…… In whatever manner that my desire or goal may be expressed, in capturing the strongest image…then that is the path the new painting will take! …….. and like a buggy behind a horse, my “style” will follow! IT IS MY VOICE!!!!…… IF MY ONLY GOAL…IS TO “SHOW STYLE” OR TO “IMPRESS” ANYONE WITH MY “STUFF”…. THEN THE TRUE “ART SPIRIT” HAS BEEN MISSED!! THE GOAL OF PAINTING, should not be merely “style”, how one applies the paint to a surface…PAINTING should not be about TECHNIQUE!! My personal goal, MY END GOAL, is hopefully to open doors to the beauty, gentleness, greatness that surrounds us all, and thus thru this awareness, cause a healing in the world, so that Mankind can come together, support one another on this magnificent journey we are all on, and begin to live in peace with one another!!!……. PERSONALLY, I DON’T THINK “STYLE” IS A “SURFACE” THING…….. but more, it is something that touches and comes from one’s very soul… How ever the “paint” ends up on the surface, is the final result of my emotional response to what I am viewing, AND FEELING, to what I am attempting to capture… sometimes it is successful, and many times it is not…and when not, those end up scrapped, or tossed!……. BUT to “develop style”, (as you put it) one must “to thine own self be true”…. not PAINT something in a certain “style” because the “style” is popular at the moment.. .and you think there is a “Market” for it…BUT PAINT, CAUSE YOUR VERY SOUL DEPENDS ON IT!!! Painting from “inside” oneself, will always produce a beauty based on “truth”…and like your own voice, the “style” will automatically be there!!!……. As you mentioned: “We are the clever inventors of ourselves”….. Personally, I DO NOT THINK WE INVENT OURSELVES…more than not, we DISCOVER OUR INNER VOICE, OUR VERY SOUL!!! Sometimes, I think artists that “invent themselves” are like putting the cart in front of the horse…. they find “what is popular”, what “is selling”… and copy that, chase that, leaving themselves in the dust! The horse (our driving creative force) should PULL us (the wagon) along our creative path… and being true to one’s self, we produce great, unique paintings, and hopefully the world will acknowledge us, before we get to the end of the road!!! IF we spend our lives in “copy mode” we may become wealthy, but seldom make a deep mark for others to enjoy, or worth remembering! And in truth, I do think our souls know when we have filled our lives with chasing the buck, doing anything and everything, in order to have financial success, over creative unique success! The truer we are to expressing our UNIQUE voice… the more “success” we will feel inside our spirits! (BUT, that does not always guarantee “financial success”!)…IF PROFIT, IMPRESSING ANYONE, OR EGO, ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT…THEN THE QUALITY OF THE WORK BECOMES A SHALLOW AND EMPTY VESSEL! And in time, the world will know whether or not the person was true to themselves, or just another form of “commercial artist”!!! ……. Personally, I can see this in at least one WORLD renown artist, of the past century, whose original, early work had a great power in it…but as he became “acknowledged” for his work, he seemed to “head south” and became shallow, ugly, empty…I felt at THAT POINT, his work became a statement toward society, particularly toward “art critics”…saying: “Look, I can produce INFERIOR UGLY work, and they will STILL ACCLAIM me!!!” (actually, after realizing this for myself, I found the following quote by this 20th century artist, making the same claim about himself and the critics that pushed him to the forefront of the art world!!!): ……. A friend of mine met this artist in France, at a restaurant, back in the early ’70s, and this artist, said that he could throw his crumpled paper napkin over his head, and people there would grab it, frame it, and claim it great art! He also said that he had a vault with paintings in it that were to be exhibited 25 years after his death…(which has not occurred to my knowledge) … that he felt were of a high “quality”…there is a quote by him that says something to the affect, referring to the art critics of his day: “It is sad when one person wastes their life blood, proving that a group of people are wasting their time…because by so doing, he becomes like them!”) ……. I believe that great art is: TOTAL ADVENTURE INTO DISCOVERING WHAT ONE HAS …INSIDE!!! ……. If one ALREADY KNOWS what one is going to do…then it becomes merely a statement, A COPY of even oneself!… stale of imagination! Really no longer AN ORIGINAL!! AND I FEEL it is actually WORST than copying another artist… because in fact, an artist is thus wasting their life, in playing it safe, with an already discovered success… and by copying it, actually cheapens the original painting’s originality, its very soul!! ……. BUT, jumping into the unknown, and capturing it, to share with the world!! NOW THAT IS A TRUE GIFT “A TRUE BECOMING”!! A TRUE CREATION! A TRUE ORIGINAL PIECE OF ART!!……. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING, ROBERT, AND THINK IT COULD HAVE STOOD ON IT’S OWN, FOR THIS ENTIRE CLICK BACK…. REALLY SUPERB!!!: “ Opportunities include nuances, conscious and unconscious mannerisms, evidence of unexplainable magic, flinty zips and happenstance gradations, strokes, splodges, slubs, bumps, bubbles and colour changelings. They may be gentle or violent. They may be planned or accidental. They may be lines or they may be patterns. They can be fat or lean, thick or thin. You need to look out for elements that change in front of your eyes, things that become something other than that which they just were. The artist lives by awaiting these events; and they are expected.” ……. Best regards, B.J. Billups http//www:billupsfineart.com

Got a chuckle out of your “motor home painting,”and the humorous shot of your dogs in the back of the “Chubby.” I can imagine your day, and it lightens my own with cheer! We can take everything too seriously. I loved the shake-up I felt upon reading Klee’s statement that “Becoming is superior to Being.” From a Zen level, Being should be superior, but we’re all familiar with the truth of the adage “the journey is better than the arrival.” I think the truth is a little more nuanced. Without Being there is no Becoming, and without Becoming, Being cannot be realized. Being in the Now as a painter, as a person requires that you participate in the mystery of cooperating with the Creative Force that causes you to become all you are meant to be.

I appreciated so much your ‘The art of becoming’, that I want to say thank you very much. This represents a great encouragement and at the same time an explanation about psychological aspects of creation process. Specially useful to people like me, working in a different field and having started not long time ago a fine arts study. Ciao from Italy!

I would like to work on a group art show titled `Being and Becoming` after reading this twice weekly letter of yours. I will select the artists and invite them to participate with a work of art, be it a canvas, water colours, sculptures, etc. Mumbai, India www.sanstache.com

Thank you Robert, I really appreciated that email.

My gosh Robert, are those dogs the genus “horsus doggus” or is the car that small? The dogs are beautiful, what “brand” are they? I must say the painting is quite nice as well and the tire track adds a sense of movement to the viewing experience…

Robert — I won’t even get into the question of “being vs. becoming” or the value of style — you might as well ask, “what is the purpose of life/art?” Enjoyed the pictures of your painting and the dogs, but if you were really hung up on style, you might line up some wet landscapes, run over them with an SUV, and have a show on the influence of fossil fuel transportation on the environment!

Your letter about imagination, magic, and happy accidents was a real breath of fresh air to a man gasping for it. From the bottom of my heart, Thank you!

Although I don’t define myself through my artwork, it is truly an expression of who I am. As it becomes, so do I … and vice versa. Allowing life’s experiences to paint my life’s picture has taught me well to see the beauty in what might have been perceived a mishap from another perspective. I am attending a “mishap” at this very moment. How I arrived here might be interesting to some (especially in the current economic client) but it is what I am doing with it that is pertinent to the art of becoming. Of course, it is affecting how I see. “The best laid schemes o’ mice an ‘men go oft agley …” Robert Burns We can plan to the smallest detail and in the blink of an eye (or the turn of the wind as was true for Robert), the painting is altered irrevocably. Not always salvageable, most often, there is merit to be found. At the very least, my experience has been to learn from the obvious. At the most, the occurrence has been deepened, raised from an ordeal and made into a story which is always my hope in both life and painting.

Too many empty statements. If you cannot tell us “how” to do “it” exactly, then, do not tell us “what” to do. Awaiting the events will not get us anywhere. And who is Paul Klee anyway

Haim, give Bob a break. Imagine writing a letter twice a week every single week. Some letters are bound to be better than others…Klee is the dude that liked to kiss, that can’t be bad…

Robert, What amazed me and made me laugh (knowing how many paintings you create) was your upset at the prospect of loosing this one, and salvaging it from under the wheels. Good for you, there is something to be said for stubbornness!

M Mizrahi—If you have to ask “‘how’ to do ‘it’, exactly,” you’re not an artist. Sorry. As for who Paul Klee is, that one defies comment.

Your letter was just the thing I needed to read to cheer me up. It’s a hard job creating something…whether a living canvas or any other media… Brazoria, Texas USA

The most frequent reaction from people in the audience as I painted a 4′ x 6′ canvas on stage accompanied by the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra last week, was how surprised they were to see the painting turn out so well, when it looked so awful at the beginning. I suppose non-painters imagine that a good painting looks good right from the first brush stroke. Sometimes, I must say, it feels good from the beginning, but even that’s no guarantee of the outcome. Gainesville, Florida

Every painting is a process of becoming for all artists. I’ve always believed art is autobiographical. We use it to speak, to convey our message. Some artists have little to say, some volumns. I think we connect with the level of art, for lack of a better term, with a like response or equivelant level. I know when as a child I could not appreiciate much of what I love in art today. There are still “styles,” “schools” and methods I still can’t get my thoughts around but that doesn’t necessarily mean the artist or work doesn’t speak to someone on some level. This is why there is little agreement when artists pontificate or try and condense our thoughts into slogans like becoming or being. For me the only important thing in painting is to be as honest with my attempt. Some paintings hit a cord with the public and some miss. Maybe my thought could be better said when I find better words later. Maybe I’m the only one listening to what I say. No matter. It’s the journey, not the destination.

Wonderful notion. I have painted shapes and colors, and sometime later in the painting realized what I painted was a woman on the other side of a window screen, sitting at a table with one hand up to her chin. I have painted colors side by side, expecting them to be the most exciting part of the painting, only to find it’s the sliver of sunlight on bright green grass that steals the show. My wife calls me my best fan. I’m not pleased too hear that, but I do think there’s some kind of truth to the matter., You have to believe in yourself, your process, the unique filters you bring to the activity, and the accidental qualities that happened because on some level you know something about what you’re up to—and the ability to recognize what’s good id something else in the work. That’s the excitement to making art. Seeing what’s become of it.

Style if you plan it is mannerism. Style if it comes naturally, is the life blood of art.

Every professional was once an amateur

Robert, I just want to say I love going through these responses to your letters. I love especially to see other artists’ work. Thank you. Stay warm.

Your current clickback had the ring of truth to me. I’ve never written you before, but the “responses” so far have been surprising and opposite to my own. What makes art into “ART”, for me, is this very thing you describe — when one starts seeing “one’s self” in the lines and colors. I often get tangled up in perfectionism, leading to a grim mess, and there is no joy in the making. My best work has come from times I threw caution to the winds and zigged when I “should” have zagged, because a sudden change made me see fresh possibilities I’d not intended. Subtle things going on in the painting that make me see it in a new way. Even accidents, as you say. It’s a sort of dialog with the subconscious, I think. The interpretation problem may come from the use of the word “style”…. Today, artists often think of style as “a preexisting external style,” like cubism, or impressionism, etc. A personal artistic style is like the ways we walk and talk, little idiosyncrasies we evolve on our own. My dictionary widget defines “Idiosyncrasy” as: idiosyncrasy — a mode of behavior or way of thought peculiar to an individual : one of his little idiosyncrasies was always preferring to be in the car first.. a distinctive or peculiar feature or characteristic of a place or thing : the idiosyncrasies of the prison system.– Medicine an abnormal physical reaction by an individual to a food or drug.ORIGIN early 17th cent. (originally in the sense[physical constitution peculiar to an individual]): from Greek idiosunkrasia, from idios “own, private” + sun “with” + krasis “mixture.” I personally like the phrase: “own, private mixture”. I don’t always feel in synch with your ramblings, but hope I got it today. If not, please don’t tell me, because I need what I learned about myself! San Jose, CA

Can we eliminate the phrase “As I tell my students…” from your clickbacks? Why is it that some artists need to preface their every comment by announcing that YES, they are a teacher? Why is this so crucial that it needs to be announced at the beginning of every comment? I’m sure Robert has taught many classes and yet, I’ve never heard him pontificate in this manner. It’s great that many artists can get a job teaching art to others, but why the insistent announcement? And yes, I’ve taught art classes too, but I don’t think it’s important, especially as there’s some really questionable folks teaching art these days with their articulate, shameless flattery and fawning groups of followers, like the blind leading the blind. Use your money to buy art books and supplies and your free time to get out of the studio and paint from life.

Right on Liz!!!

B. J. Billups —winner of the “Longest Reply to Robert Genn’s Letter” award Bruce J. Wilcox—I often say it is about the journey and not the destination to me as I am totally in the being when I am in this state. Sure, I am moving along, but I am not focused on the end result until it magically arrives. I think there is really little difference in what you are saying, but would love to read a book on this. When I speak of it being about a journey, I am speaking more of it also being a way of living my life and life (as physical) always comes to an end. Hate to think of that as my destination. Hope this makes some sense.

B.J.Billups, Your reply is appreciated. I do not want you to take my last statement the wrong way. I tend to write a book when I am passionate about something, too!