The Lion's Pride vol. 1 (Fall 2013) | Page 40

37 of stress returns, remember that it is only the self in the studio and a white canvas to play with. This canvas can be ripped up, burned, destroyed, or hidden. No one has to see this creation. To let reckless abandon fill the heart and guide the hand is the way to let opinions be expressed in their purest form. Don’t let the emotional tides of others fill what is only one personal canvas and what should stay the personal endeavor of the artist. In this state, whatever may fit the situation, an artist may be free to shout out their rebellious ravings or sit in quiet contemplation free of the burden of whatever society they may be a part of. To all the young who may be riding high and cocky. To all the old simply sitting at home coloring in the flowers of their minds, let’s leave with this. The toils of the day will sometimes seem lost. The fruits of the labors of the day may seem rotten, bitter, unkempt, and unworthy of market value. But that is never the point. It is instead the harrows of the start that tend to stop and grind those away from what they love. It is the work that may have been born from judgment, happiness, frailty, or kindness that was made in an honest attempt at making something new and lush. It was started, and if it was finished or not does not matter. The fact a painting stands is a