The artist should never rely on the apparent quality of what he creates, because this is a parameter that is definitely not for him or for his peers to judge. At worst, he must put up with it. To make art is to direct effort toward the realization of a mental image in an artistic form; to do so, in short, is to bring an idea to life. Insofar as it seems right to him, and convinces and moves him, the job is to represent it with sincerity and power, to represent it in a way that lives up to the vividness of the mental representation. As for the result, all that matters to the artist is the degree to which he was able to express what he intended to express, in other words, whether or not he was faithful to the idea—which ultimately represents whether or not he was faithful to himself.
Category: Notes
There Is, in Fact, a Satisfaction Experienced
There is, in fact, a satisfaction experienced at the end of the painstaking writing of a book that is not limited to the feeling that “it’s finally over”. When one has been on this path for some time, and the vow has been sufficiently justified and affirmed, and one’s spirit has therefore moved away from the excitement of novelty and testing, each piece of work that comes to fruition is a step forward towards the primary objective that motivated the decision to write. When the decision was deliberate, it was only a glimpse of the possible results which, gradually, with each piece of writing, finally materialize and make the initial plan a reality. In this way, one experiences the “finally”, but one also experiences the feeling that one has fantasized less.
The Possibility of Closing a Book
The possibility of closing a book, like skipping chapters, moving forward or backward, should never leave our minds while we read, since reading, in order to be worthwhile, must be motivated and sustained by our interest. Unless an inescapable duty speaks louder, which therefore underpins the need to read from the first to the last line, when a sudden lack of interest manifests itself during reading, action must be taken to avoid wasting time and even incomprehension. By always remembering that reading is a choice, we can enjoy it much more.
The Intellectual Dies the Moment…
The intellectual dies the moment he loses that characteristic curiosity of the young student, thirsty to learn. Intellectual activity itself is based on nothing else: it requires permanent effort, enthusiasm for the unknown and the will to investigate and understand it. That’s why, no matter what happens to them, the intellectual must never allow this flame to go out, otherwise he will go out with it.