Letter From Sol LeWitt to Eva Hesse
My Life Drawing professor has shared this with me a few times. And I love it. Always gives me a little hope at my lowest of lows. Enjoy. :)
p.s. Eva Hesse is an artist who would write to Sol LeWitt (also an artist) quite frequently almost questioning what he does. This is his response after many letters.
Dear Eva,
It will be almost a month since you wrote to me and you have possibly forgotten your state of mind (I doubt it though). You seem the same as always, and being you, hate every minute of it. Don’t! Learn to say “Fuck You” to the world once in a while. You have every right to. Just stop thinking, worrying, looking over your shoulder wondering, doubting, fearing, hurting, hoping for some easy way out, struggling, grasping, confusing, itchin, scratching, mumbling, bumbling, grumbling, humbling, stumbling, numbling, rumbling, gambling, tumbling, scumbling, scrambling, hitching, hatching, bitching, moaning, groaning, honing, boning, horse-shitting, hair-splitting, nit-picking, piss-trickling, nose sticking, ass-gouging, eyeball-poking, finger-pointing, alleyway-sneaking, long waiting, small stepping, evil-eyeing, back-scratching, searching, perching, besmirching, grinding, grinding, grinding away at yourself. Stop it and just DO!
From your description, and from what I know of your previous work and you [sic] ability; the work you are doing sounds very good “Drawing-clean-clear but crazy like machines, larger and bolder… real nonsense.” That sounds fine, wonderful – real nonsense. Do more. More nonsensical, more crazy, more machines, more breasts, penises, cunts, whatever – make them abound with nonsense. Try and tickle something inside you, your “weird humor.” You belong in the most secret part of you. Don’t worry about cool, make your own uncool. Make your own, your own world. If you fear, make it work for you – draw & paint your fear and anxiety. And stop worrying about big, deep things such as “to decide on a purpose and way of life, a consistant [sic] approach to even some impossible end or even an imagined end” You must practice being stupid, dumb, unthinking, empty. Then you will be able to DO!I have much confidence in you and even though you are tormenting yourself, the work you do is very good. Try to do some BAD work – the worst you can think of and see what happens but mainly relax and let everything go to hell – you are not responsible for the world – you are only responsible for your work – so DO IT. And don’t think that your work has to conform to any preconceived form, idea or flavor. It can be anything you want it to be. But if life would be easier for you if you stopped working – then stop. Don’t punish yourself. However, I think that it is so deeply engrained in you that it would be easier to DO!
It seems I do understand your attitude somewhat, anyway, because I go through a similar process every so often. I have an “Agonizing Reappraisal” of my work and change everything as much as possible = and hate everything I’ve done, and try to do something entirely different and better. Maybe that kind of process is necessary to me, pushing me on and on. The feeling that I can do better than that shit I just did. Maybe you need your agony to accomplish what you do. And maybe it goads you on to do better. But it is very painful I know. It would be better if you had the confidence just to do the stuff and not even think about it. Can’t you leave the “world” and “ART” alone and also quit fondling your ego. I know that you (or anyone) can only work so much and the rest of the time you are left with your thoughts. But when you work or before your work you have to empty you [sic] mind and concentrate on what you are doing. After you do something it is done and that’s that. After a while you can see some are better than others but also you can see what direction you are going. I’m sure you know all that. You also must know that you don’t have to justify your work – not even to yourself. Well, you know I admire your work greatly and can’t understand why you are so bothered by it. But you can see the next ones and I can’t. You also must believe in your ability. I think you do. So try the most outrageous things you can – shock yourself. You have at your power the ability to do anything.
I would like to see your work and will have to be content to wait until Aug or Sept. I have seen photos of some of Tom’s new things at Lucy’s. They are impressive – especially the ones with the more rigorous form: the simpler ones. I guess he’ll send some more later on. Let me know how the shows are going and that kind of stuff.
My work had changed since you left and it is much better. I will be having a show May 4 -9 at the Daniels Gallery 17 E 64yh St (where Emmerich was), I wish you could be there. Much love to you both.
Sol
Source: jwvpk.wordpress.com
Source: designcube
Almost a year ago, I sat down and read Ricky Martin’s autobiography,”Me”.
While reading, I couldn’t help but take notes. I wrote down all my favorite quotes. Whether it be the way they were illustrated, how they were written, or simply made me think about my own life. Almost a year ago, I posted all of these individually here on Tumblr, which is why I am not doing that again, but I do feel like it’s worth writing out again. Feel free to read them over. Don’t judge these words by seeing who said them. Just read them for what they are. Just think about it. You might gain some clarity in your own life. You may be surprised what happens when you think. Not a lot of people do it.
- “It doesn’t matter how much you love a person; the reality of life is that one cannot make decisions for someone else.”
- “I have always taken care of those around me, and I do it because I love to do so. That’s how my life has always been, and it genuinely makes me happy. Some people think it’s not healthy to be this way, and I agree. It’s something I have to work on, but that’s just the way it is.”
- “At some point in our lives, all of us ultimately arrive at a moment when we are somehow compelled to look back and consciously reflect on the life we have led. We feel the need to understand where we come from, because we want to see with more clarity where we are actually headed and where it is that we really want to go; we search for a way to balance that which we have lived and that which remains for us to experience, with the desire, perhaps, to find a more meaningful purpose to our existence.”
- “Life is so much more beautiful when you live it with open arms, your guard dropped, and without anxieties or secrets.”
- “You have to search for love. You have to believe in it. You have to ask the universe for exactly what you want to call to your life. But most of all, you have to be patient.”
- “I have always thought that attraction, like love, is a matter of souls that find one another and collide. Souls aren’t feminine or masculine; they simply find one another, and when there is a connection, when there is something that grabs you and turns your insides, that is when the magic is born along with attraction and love.”
- “One feels what one feels, and to try to explain it is not only futile—but wrong. Attraction does not have a logical reason. It simply happens, and as humans, all we do it react to it.”
- “And just as it is important to know how to accept things that destiny sends us, it is also crucial to now when to stop and take a step back from that which could harm us.”
- “Life is as simple or as complicated as we make it.”
- “In life, there is always the temptation of wanting everything at once, like right now. When we chase a dream we see it all so clearly, and it’s normal to want it to become a reality right away, or at least as soon as possible. But as we all know, things in life are never simple. The path toward one’s goals is often full of obstacles, and by overcoming each obstacle in your own way, there is a lesson to learn.”
- “When you are surrounded by so many talented people, it is normal to start doubting your own artistic choices, but to be a truly original artist, it is crucial to stay yourself.”
- “You have to struggle. You have to feel. You have to move forward. When I am not feeling my best, emotionally speaking, the last thing I want is for people to know how I am feeling.”
- “If you don’t cultivate your passion, you will always feel a void. You will always feel that something is missing.”
- “We all walk down a karmic path, a spiritual journey, and we have the opportunity to decide what to do with our own lives. It is as if we are wandering through the desert and all of a sudden a horse appears. We can ignore it and keep walking, or we can get on that horse. And if we do mount it, we can just sit there and do nothing and let the horse drive us, or we can take control of the reins and gallop toward the place where we truly want to go. When an opportunity comes my way, I am the only one who decides to either take it or leave it.”
- “Success is a double-edged sword, because for everything that one does, something else is sacrificed; for every road taken, another one is left uncharted. It is the law of life.”
- “It has shown me clearly that the fear I felt before existed only in my head—as does all fear.”
- “Life’s lessons are like a series of closed doors: Upon gaining the insight and learning the relevant lesson, one door closes and another one opens, and you continue your journey.”
- “You have to create the course of your own destiny and not let chance determine your direction.”
- “The key is to see everything as a lesson. Good and bad alike are both part of a whole, and we have to embrace that whole to reach the complete existence we long for. We advance on certain paths where opportunities come our way, and ever step not only gets us closer to where we want to go but also has a reason for being. Life gives us experiences, and every decision we make determines where we will be later.”
- “When life presents you a boat, you cannot rely on luck to supply a boat; you have to dive into the water and swim.”
I started up a new blog.
I started up a new blog titled Typography Surrounds Us. It started as a summer project looking for letterforms across campus, but now I am looking for additional submissions for design inspiration for everyone! What a better place then Tumblr, eh? Follow if you’re interested and submit all you want!
