One of my dear friends is what is now being called, a visionary artist. This is the term that is now used in reference to artists who are for the most part, self taught. Although they may have learned by observation, or learned from the books on art and art theory, they did not attend a formalized training program, they did not in other words, go to school. They just simply create, often times not even referring to what they create as artwork. They make it because they have to, they are driven by something that is deep within themselves.
I often visit my friend in his studio, a large outdoor garage if you can call it that, it is really just an open air work space covered by a large roof. And under that roof, on one side of his studio sits one of his prize possessions, his hot tub. Years ago he suffered from a bout of sleepless nights, and his doctor suggested that he look online, referencing the site of choosehottubsdirect.com, where he found the perfect hot tub for his needs. He simply needed a quiet place to relax, to think about the work that was brewing in his mind.
What happened was that he realized, upon sitting in the hot water before heading off to bed, that he was sleeping soundly and deeply throughout the night, something that he had not experienced in years. Over the years, even if he does not consider his own work to be fine art, his gallery sales have taken off. And if he ever becomes overwhelmed by the amount of work he must produce in any given month, he simply takes a brief soak, to emerge refreshed and revitalized and ready to take it on. Most of the time I visit him, we soak. We talk, and we relax. This gives us a respite from the busy world, and provides us a quiet moment to reflect on where we have been, and where we are going next.
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