Philosophy of Inner Drives: Will, Red, and Round

When I started this project, I began with  my favorite color.  So open Paint and paint bucket the whole thing red.  It was beautiful. Circles are my favorite shape, so I added one in black. Then another, then another and began to overlap them to create other shapes.

I cropped the canvas to hold only one circle, but with others playing into it.  As the crop was a square, we now change the concept of the picture completely. Circle within a square, giving straight lines the final say in what the shape would be. You'll notice it's the first truly straight lines.  Even the four sided shapes created by the circles still have some curve to them.

Then, just to be fair to the other colors out there, I started to add them. Yellow first, then orange, then purple . . . it went on from there until my reds were only slashes and hint here and there. In one place it just peeks out from the background.  In the end, it's the least color in the picture.

Now, some people would see this as the problem with what happens when you begin to stray away from your original desire. My red canvas and happy circles have been changed and altered until only hints of them remain.  Some people would see this as the problem with taking in too much influence, allowing other things to define the boarders, and giving all the other colors a chance.

The thing is, when I look at the picture, the things that pop to me the most are the reds and the overall sense of the picture is a circle in motion. The square exists, but really only functions to highlight the circle.  This is the strength of knowing yourself. Even if you have to play a lot of roles in life. Even if you have to define your boundaries by other standards, be viewed in ways you don't anticipate, or find yourself at times sharing the spotlight with others, it's okay so long as you know who you are and what makes you . . . you.

I think a lot of us fear being lost to ourselves. It happens. We all know it happens. It doesn't have to though.  The trick is, no matter what is going on, you stay focused on YOU. Remember who you are and what you love about yourself.  If you do that, it doesn't matter what is going on in the picture, you will STILL mostly focus on your reds and circles.

There are a lot of people out there who want to push all the different ways and ideas down.  In the Middle East, kids who dress emo are being stoned.  Here in the US, people say that gay marriage will destroy our culture. Seriously?  Are you really that weak that you think outside influences can ruin what you hold dear?  Wait, let me rephrase . . . do you fear the influences because you know what you hold dear isn't strong enough to withstand them?  Because if it isn't, find ways to make it more attractive. Don't just try and send it away.

I could have put a million colors in that picture and a million different shape distortions. It wouldn't have mattered because the red and the hint of circle still would have been the first thing to catch my eye.  It always will be because these are the things I love the most.

So what are your loves?  What are your priorities? And I don't mean the bullshit ones you tell everyone because you think you should.  What are the real ones? Because whatever they are, that's what you'll see in the big picture.