Chapter 3 real laurels

A young girl wrote to me, saying that she was originally a student of the art department, and her favorite thing was to sketch in the sun with painting tools on her back, hoping to draw all the beautiful things in the world.During the winter vacation, she went to work in a factory, but she broke her right hand. From then on, she couldn’t carry the painting tools to sketch outdoors, and she couldn’t paint anymore. She even gave up her schoolwork, and suddenly felt that life had lost its meaning; she suffered from pain every day. She shut herself in the room, with a sad mood about everything, and finally she asked me a question: What should I do?what should I do?

This question has puzzled me for a long time, and I don't know how to answer it.It also reminds me of the great French dwarf painter Toulouse Lautrec.Roderick was born in a noble family. He was smart and loved when he was young. Unfortunately, when he was fourteen years old, he accidentally tripped and broke his left leg. A few months later, when his mother took him for a walk, he fell into the gutter. He also broke his right leg. Since then, his development below the waist has completely stopped and he has become a dwarf. What happened to Roderick may have been a misfortune to him, but it was a blessing among misfortunes to art. Roderick's art began to be born after he broke his legs. Let me ask: If Roderick hadn't broken his legs Legs, will he also become a great painter in the history of art? Roderick said: "If my legs are like ordinary people, I will not paint anymore." It can be said to be the best answer.

From the works left by Rodrick, we can see that he was particularly interested in dancing girls and running horses, and he left many excellent works, which come from his psychological compensation. , he projected his dream of dancing and riding a horse on art. Therefore, if Roderick was still a normal person, I am afraid that we will not see masterpieces of dancing and galloping horses today. Every time I look at Roderick's picture album, it always reminds me of his life experience.I thought: What is the real laurels of life?Is it to be a normal person and die with the grass and trees?Or after setbacks, from the deepest part of the soul to eternal fame?There is no single answer to these questions. The answer is whether, at the mercy of fate, one can reinvent himself and be reborn from the ashes.

In Greek mythology, there are two gods with absolutely different personalities. One is the rational, intelligent, and calm Apollo; the other is the emotional, enthusiastic, and impulsive Dionysius.They seem to represent two different temperaments in life, one is passionate and romantic, the other is calm and rational, in which the two burst into sparkling fire. From the perspective of society's standards, we all hope that a normal person can be stable, elegant, and have self-control. We hope that everyone's character and performance are like angels, but this kind of character makes most people become ordinary people, lacking in greatness. Ambition and strong emotions.Once this Apollo character is stirred, oppressed, and frustrated, it may be like a volcanic eruption. Dionysius in the bottom of his heart sticks out his head and radiates wild passion like a torrential rain. The originality of art lies in this When things happen, the unsatisfactory life and destiny are like a whetstone, sharpening the surging talents.

Most of the great thinkers in history are of the character of Apollo, who have left us with profound portrayals of life; but most of the artists in history are of the character of Dionysius, who have left us with the testimonials of the passion of life.Maybe the artists can't be seen in the present world, but the works they left behind make them wear eternal and real laurel crowns. The clues of this fate can be traced, and there is room for turning.If you lose your feet, you still have two hands; if you lose your right hand, you still have your left hand; if you lose your eyes, you still have a clear mind; A passionate soul may ignite a dazzling light in the darkest corner.

The journey of life is an astonishing country. No one can live a life without pain. If you experience stage fright when encountering pain, and feel like you are in the same room when you encounter a setback, then you will never be able to turn Qianshui into white practice, and you will never be able to If Hebaiyin becomes a song, it will never reach the state of proficiency. If you want to wear the real laurels, you can never let go of the suffering in life. This may be my answer to "What should I do?" — August 12, 1981