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Self Portrait - Bryan Lewis Saunders

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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Ideas & Questions

Published: 21 January 2011

Hits: 1873

And now, since in the previous link I suggested (and then retracted) the fact that a certain blogger's illustrations looked like they were done while on crack, I thought I'd clarify by providing you with a link to an artist who cheerfully noted the drug and dosage before attempting his self portrait. Which is a curious insight into how specific drugs affect specific areas of mind....I'll let you come to your own conclusions.

Link: Self Portraits - Bryan Lewis Saunders

Note that even on drugs he is still a far more high-functioning artist than myself.

Note as well there are some parallels with Art and Mental Illness - so I've provided more links below:

Link: Art By the Famous Mentally Ill, NY Times Article that argues the link between creativity and mental illness, An article from the American Journal of Psychiatry that disproves psychiatrists can diagnose mental illness based on artwork, Wiki on Savants and finally, a favorite painting below by Richard Dadd. Food for thought and dessert for the eyes...

 

 

Hyperbole and a half

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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Link of the day

Published: 21 January 2011

Hits: 1586

And an amusing and charmingly illustrated story about children. Other peoples children.

Link: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2011/01/wolves.html

Which looks like it might have been illustrated by somebody on crack, but that's a matter of taste, arguably one of style and nonetheless the pictures suit the words ... and if you look at the blogger behind it (Allie) she's definitely not on crack. Probably she went to art school and to be truthful I'd be pretty happy if any of my paintings turned out that realistic.

The Big Picture

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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Miscellany

Published: 21 January 2011

Hits: 2029

In the restaurant today, called in by the owner, G had spoken out of turn and told him that I was interested in working there again.

Which was, strictly speaking, not true, but I mentioned that I was looking for work and he extrapolated from that the fact I must want to come back.

And so I explain that perhaps, depending on the schedule it's a possibility but it was depending...and here he waves his hand "Speak to the manager..." and so I go and speak to her.

The schedule, it's the same, 3 days, 5 nights, soul-sucking. And with all the new staff members I'm not sure I see the point and I know damned well I don't want that schedule, not again. And if I think critically about it I don't want this job but it's easy, convenient, and I keep thinking it's the short term gap, the stepping stone to better things.

I tell her 2 days and 4 nights. I don't care if it's only part time (although two 14 hour days and two 8 hour nights add up to 40 hours in a hurry), and I understand that it's not the way things are done here.

The owner, he comes out and tells me now that it doesn't matter, if I can work the schedule great, if I can't he just thought he'd offer, he's getting wound up thinking that maybe I'm taking the piss, I'm writing my own schedule, and I can see there might be problems and I'm cursing G for bringing this up. I need to get my resume out there, get a 9:00-5:00 somewhere so I can schedule in my life, work towards greater things....

***

Herein lies the problem. All of these jobs are but the means to an end, none of them are an end in themselves. There are other things that prey upon me, have my interest and somewhat undivided attention but these things, they're intangible, they don't yield a profit (not yet at least) and no one here understands why you would want them. And so all of the spotty employment, time off, these are things taken in consideration of the big picture, and when I'm looking for work I don't want that cozy retirement situation, the death-until-your-65-and-retire mentality, I want something that feeds my spare time, my creative interests, if it inspires me, great, if not then let it pay me well and I'll find inspiration on my own time. It's remarkably straightforward, but few understand it. I'm working towards the big picture.