Just do it!

So I can say this: 'It's not the hundreds of reasons why one can't be an artist, but rather, the one reason one must be that makes us artists. Why we cannot be something is not important. Most artists became artists because of the one reason.'

Recovering from a rather long (and in parts foolishly run) walk yesterday the slogan for a famous sports brand seems very apt. While my limbs are recovering it not that type of endeavour I wish to spur you on to take up today, but rather grabbing whatever creative impulse is in you and enjoying it.

The follow extracts are from a TedTalk by ChangHyun Lee the theme of which was "Be an artist, right now." which definitely says what I'm getting at.

... Kids don't do art because someone told them to. They aren't told by their boss or anyone, they just do it.

When you were little, I bet you spent time enjoying the pleasure of primitive art. When I ask my students to write about their happiest moment, many write about an early artistic experience they had as a kid.

Unfortunately, the little artists within us are choked to death before we get to fight against the oppressors of art. They get locked in. That's our tragedy.

So what happens when little artists get locked in, banished or even killed? Our artistic desire doesn't go away. We want to express, to reveal ourselves, but with the artist dead, the artistic desire reveals itself in dark form. In karaoke bars, there are always people who sing "She's Gone" or "Hotel California," miming the guitar riffs. Usually they sound awful. Awful indeed. Some people turn into rockers like this. Or some people dance in clubs. People who would have enjoyed telling stories end up trolling on the Internet all night long. That's how a writing talent reveals itself on the dark side.

Sometimes we see dads get more excited than their kids playing with Legos or putting together plastic robots. They go, "Don't touch it. Daddy will do it for you." The kid has already lost interest and is doing something else, but the dad alone builds castles. This shows the artistic impulses inside us are suppressed, not gone.

In 1990, Martha Graham, the legend of modern dance, came to Korea. The great artist, then in her 90s, arrived at Gimpo Airport and a reporter asked her a typical question: "What do you have to do to become a great dancer? Any advice for aspiring Korean dancers?" Now, she was the master. This photo was taken in 1948 and she was already a celebrated artist. In 1990, she was asked this question. And here's what she answered: "Just do it." Wow. I was touched. Only those three words and she left the airport. That's it. So what should we do now? Let's be artists, right now. Right away. How? Just do it!

Last word from me on the subject, when in doubt - just create!