2023, the world opened completely, and my identity search stabilized. I knew where I came from. I knew roughly what to do next. And this year my artistic journey deep dived into topics that help me sustain in being an artist. Some topics resonated from others on a level I could absorb it into my own vision going forward. I share the secret, which is about work or play ethos. A secret that helps me translate the abstract to the more practical work and what type of processes are needed.
The secret is inspired by my work with young people during a project at Zutphen, and an extract about painting a fence, from ´The adventures of Tom Sawyer´, a novel originally published in 1876 and written by Mark Twain.
THE SECRET
Friday morning was there, and spring was fresh, the day was at its sunniest and full of life. There was a song in every heart, and when the heart is young - it can also be heard aloud. Is there a smile on every face, and a leap with every step. Trees are in bloom and the scent of blossom is in the air.
And there in Zutphen, somewhat hidden away, was the Playlab in a characteristic little street. Inviting. And unexplored - for Tom. ... .going inside, with a bucket of white paint and a brush. He has to paint the wall, and all the joy he had in him vanished and a deep melancholy took its place before it.
What a long wall.
And what a tedious job.
Existence feels like a burden.
With a deep sigh, he dipped the brush into the paint pot and started with a strip and then did it again. He compared the sad little result. Discouraged, he sat down. Jim came jumping in to clear out the dishwasher. Tom always thought that was a tedious chore, but now he could remember that at the heart of the kitchen there were always people and laughter. Jim never came back from his chore after five minutes. He always got talking and had fun till at least an hour. Sometimes a Master even had to go after him to pluck him out of there again. ‘Hey, Jim; I'll do the dishwasher when you're painting.’ Jim shook his head and said: ‘I have to do that job, it's in my name. Otherwise I haven't complied with the agreements.' Tom: ‘No problem Jim, it's just a matter of someone clearing out that dishwasher. Give me that task and it'll take me a minute. Masters won't even find out. ' Jim: ’Sure they'll find out, the Masters are always around. And otherwise my to-do list doesn't add up either. It's in my name!' Oh, and that's stupid! I hate to-do lists. And that's so school actually! And you're absolutely right! I'd much rather paint, give me that brush.
And Jim starts painting with energy.
Yeah! I'll show you what I can do with that wall. And another strip. And another strip. White it is! White. I can do a lot more than that dishwasher and those stupid chores! Oh, by the way, do you want to see my latest TikTok videos? Jim was a boy of 10 - the appeal of TikTok was too great. He abandoned his bucket and brush and showed Tom the mobile phone with his made movie. Tom was energised by the movie, and on impulse grabbed the brush and started painting with the movie in mind. From left to right. And from top to bottom. But Tom's energy was short-lived. He thought of all kinds of fun things he could also do this afternoon, like making cool TikTok videos like Jim had done. And he felt sadder and sadder by the minute. After those stupid tasks, maybe Tom and Jim could just go have fun? Bit of filming and stuff. Yes! The thought was already giving him freedom. The promise of half an hour of fun later. Just hold on a little longer. Tom calmly grabbed the brush and started painting with composur.
That's where Ben came bouncing in. He's eating an apple. And playing with rhythm, he is always a bit restless. ‘Really no,’ thought Tom, not that restless Ben with his bouncing. Ben stayed standing by Tom and paced back and forth a bit, throwing the apple up like it was a tennis ball that he was going to bang against the wall at any moment. 'This is like squash! Yeah. Look my footwork. Watch my focus. I'll pop it past you in no time and you'll have to catch it.' Tom tried to ignore Ben and continued painting. Ben looked puzzled for a moment and tried again ‘Hey, aside then!’ No answer. Tom looked in concentration with a look like an artist, then he gave his brush another swish and watched his result from a distance.
Ben, meanwhile, was watching. Tom was getting hungry for the apple. He had gotten quite hungry. But it wasn't time for break yet. Ben ‘So you're really working huh’ Tom ignored Ben. Ben ‘I was just going to break. I had already started on the apple. Are you coming? Or... do you still have to work hard?' Tom ‘What do you mean by hard work?’ Ben: ‘Well, isn't this hard work then?’ Tom continued painting and casually replied ‘Maybe it's hard work but I'm doing well.’ Ben: ‘oh, come on. You can't say you find this FUN, can you?' The brush kept moving on the wall. Tom: ‘I wouldn't know why I wouldn't like this. It's not every day I get the chance to paint a wall white!'
That changed things.
Ben stopped with his apple. Tom watched from a distance to check his progress, voiced some criticism of himself and continued. Ben's interest slowly grew as if hypnotise, until he said: ‘Tom, hand me that brush.’ Tom thought about it for a moment, then said ‘No. No way. I've been painting for a while now and it's coming together quite precisely. I've now figured out how to get those strips nice and smooth, and not put too much nor too little paint on my brush. No one can take this from me. No way!' Ben: ‘oh, come. Let me try it too. I'd give YOU the brush if I were YOU! Tom: ‘Well Ben. I'm different from you, a bit more careful. And I don't know hear...' Ben: ‘I'll give anything!’ ‘Bring it on!’
Tom gave up the brush to Ben, painfully. And while the wall was being painted, the artist rested and had his break. By the time Ben had finished, someone else came to take over. And again. There were plenty of candidates. Tom was having a great day because he had so much company - and the wall had received as many as three coats in the meantime. He had to conclude that the world did not feel empty after all. Unknown to him, he learned what this writer knows.
Namely.
To make something interesting, you have to put some effort into it. Work is something you ‘have to’ do, while play is something you ‘don't have to’ do. And that's why making artful flowers or running a lap can be work, and climbing a mountain amusing. There are people who pay a lot of money to swim laps in a pool at a resort, or ride a horse for hours in the blazing sun - because they see it as a privilege and it is expensive. If we were to pay them for this, they would see it as work and stop doing it immediately. Tom smiled at the secret he had discovered.
The secret.