All creativity needs passion to be art. It is the hunger that matters—the raging connection among all of your senses and those dual, but divergent properties of the intellectual world: the logic of reality and the seeming illogic of wisdom. Famous and not-so-famous artists have said in various ways that art without passion is decoration.
Paul Cezanne said, “A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art. Emotion is the starting point, the beginning and the end.”
The great painter, Ingres, said, “Do not suppose anything good or even fairly good can be produced without the nobility of the soul.”
The struggle to create, to learn, to explore is always there. Occasionally when PTSD grabs us and the dark winds blow, the fire goes out. But something will spark, maybe a person who electrifies, or, for me, a long walk in the woods...and the fire ignites—the need to create explodes. It’s also true in music, writing, and theater. PTSD can be the tornado that lifts us to a clearer vision of what really matters.
Real creativity comes not from just your eyes, or your hand, but from inside—the heart, the soul...and hunger. To Ben Shahn, “Spiritual energy” was the “primary force in art.”
It is the hunger that matters—that spiritual energy. You have to soar above the endless fragments of reality into the intensity of invention—the realm of idealism—the supernatural.
I have followed the work of Barbara Nuss for many years. She paints from life not photos. She is master of technique, a teacher who has written a book on landscapes but it’s the inner life of her work that can’t be taught—it’s the passion for making a vision come alive.
Few artists I have known have the pure passion for art as Alan Braley of Washington DC. For over 50 years he has explored and conquered so many subjects and techniques. He begins with an idea. It grows and sends out shoots and a new series is born. It can lead anywhere but it has to have a raging connection with spirits of the earth and humanity.
There are other passions in life. I don’t include the accumulation of money, credentials and awards. That’s obsession, not passion. It is the spiritual energy that clings to your soul, your humanness—and in the end it is the only thing of real value.
I agree. Where is you latest post?
''There are other passions in life. I don’t include the accumulation of money, credentials and awards. That’s obsession, not passion. It is the spiritual energy that clings to your soul, your humanness—and in the end it is the only thing of real value.'' Is very tru, desire isnt for the crowd its wholey from you and your creativity.