Envy

"Make her with her face covered by a mask of fair seeming; show her as wounded in the eye by a palm branch and by an olive-branch, and wounded in the ear by laurel and myrtle, to signify that victory and truth are odious to her[...] Make her heart gnawed by a swelling serpent."
- Leonardo da Vinci on the personification of Envy

Da Vinci had like ten more attributes to her but the mask, branches, and serpent are the ones I recall easiest. Envy is my first muse because genuine jealousy was really what made me want to get better at art. It's hard to be surrounded by artists in both textbooks and studios and not think, "I want that. I want to do that. I am willing to dedicate years of my life to be able to do that." So I picked up a pencil and started.

Sloth

There are days when I just need to take time off. No errands, no tasks, no demands.

There will be another train in five minutes, stop running.

The canvas will still be there tomorrow, stop pushing.

So every once in a while, I put down the pencil and go outside. If I'm lucky, it's pleasant enough to go barefoot. I often end up sitting on the steps and just staring out at the horizon. If a change is wanted, I close my eyes and listen.

During these moments, I think about everything. Or nothing. Depends on the day.

This is the closest I get to art without actually doing art. I believe that art is the practice of making a mental concept into a physical image. So naturally, a healthy mind is just as important as a developed skill set.

Although the definition of "healthy mind" is always arguable, particularly with artists.

Every exercise needs a rest and stretch, mental ones are not excluded. So when feeling overly stressed and troubled, just stop. Stop, turn it off, and go outside. I'm not asking you to smile and pretend the problems aren't there, but to take a moment and clear your head. You will lose a bit of time, but it's much easier to take on something without a cluttered brain.

Pride

I made a decision one day; the first and biggest I had in several years.

I decided to be more like my drawings.

Confidence.

Zero hesitation.

No regrets.

To bring depth to the simplest materials was my goal. A dirty bit of charcoal and crumpled paper could bring the coldest critic to his knees when handled at its best.

Motivation is absolutely key. As artists, we have already chosen the hard road of supposed elitists. But it's not about being the best. It's about being your best. Damn anyone who tells you otherwise. If it's important to you than that's all you need to set you on your way. But don't let it stagnate. Use it to improve, to learn, to love, to live. Fight for it tooth and nail.

Chin up.

Chest out.

It's not enough to reach for the stars. Grab the sun, and if it burns, endure it.