{"id":722,"date":"2016-12-08T22:03:01","date_gmt":"2016-12-09T03:03:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/?p=722"},"modified":"2016-12-08T22:03:01","modified_gmt":"2016-12-09T03:03:01","slug":"how-to-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2016\/12\/how-to-start\/","title":{"rendered":"How to start?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Starting is always the hardest part.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A good place to start is by decluttering, cleaning up my workspace. \u00a0Nothing stops the creative process more for me than clutter. \u00a0That could be physical clutter or mental clutter. The two seem closely related. \u00a0Also why not freshen up the blog format! Nice, fresh template!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Then, what to do? I was impressed by a piece of advice I read online today while at the office, found while looking for information on the book\u00a0The Miracle Morning<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I can’t remember where exactly I found this:<\/p>\n

“Create what you would like to see in the world, and then make it public.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

The author was mainly thinking about how to make money, but I was intrigued about it in a different way. \u00a0What would I like to see in the world, and how could I, as an artist, create that, or at least contribute to it?<\/strong> \u00a0Certainly not another gadget, app or infernal machine to distract and mislead people. \u00a0Instead, peace<\/strong>, love<\/strong> and understanding<\/strong> come to mind.<\/p>\n

So I think my contribution for today will be the Karaniya Metta Sutta<\/strong>, words attributed to the Buddha. \u00a0This is what I hope for the world:<\/p>\n

This is what should be done
\nBy one who is skilled in goodness,
\nAnd who knows the path of peace:
\nLet them be able and upright,
\nStraightforward and gentle in speech,
\nHumble and not conceited,
\nContented and easily satisfied,
\nUnburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
\nPeaceful and calm and wise and skillful,
\nNot proud or demanding in nature.
\nLet them not do the slightest thing
\nThat the wise would later reprove.
\nWishing: In gladness and in safety,
\nMay all beings be at ease.
\nWhatever living beings there may be;
\nWhether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
\nThe great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
\nThe seen and the unseen,
\nThose living near and far away,
\nThose born and to-be-born \u2014
\nMay all beings be at ease!<\/p>\n

Let none deceive another,
\nOr despise any being in any state.
\nLet none through anger or ill-will
\nWish harm upon another.
\nEven as a mother protects with her life
\nHer child, her only child,
\nSo with a boundless heart
\nShould one cherish all living beings;
\nRadiating kindness over the entire world:
\nSpreading upwards to the skies,
\nAnd downwards to the depths;
\nOutwards and unbounded,
\nFreed from hatred and ill-will.
\nWhether standing or walking, seated or lying down
\nFree from drowsiness,
\nOne should sustain this recollection.
\nThis is said to be the sublime abiding.
\nBy not holding to fixed views,
\nThe pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
\nBeing freed from all sense desires,
\nIs not born again into this world.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
“One Bright Pearl” watercolor on paper, 2008.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Starting is always the hardest part. A good place to start is by decluttering, cleaning up my workspace. \u00a0Nothing stops the creative process more for me than clutter. \u00a0That could be physical clutter or mental clutter. The two seem closely related. \u00a0Also why not freshen up the blog format! Nice, fresh template! Then, what to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11,89],"tags":[7,66,91,92,90,36],"class_list":["post-722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-art","category-thoughts-and-ideas","tag-art","tag-buddhism","tag-goals","tag-metta","tag-process","tag-watercolor"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5zpKF-bE","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1069,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2021\/09\/common-grave-a-painting-project-continued\/","url_meta":{"origin":722,"position":0},"title":"Common Grave: A Painting Project – continued","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"September 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Part II: The Composition and the Process As I mentioned in my previous post, a 'cult of devotion' developed around the skulls and bones found in the Fontanelle cemetery. It is very much a religious, or at least 'cultic' site. And why not? Why shouldn't all these remains, representing the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/CG-blog-postI-15.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/CG-blog-postI-15.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/CG-blog-postI-15.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/CG-blog-postI-15.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":881,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2017\/11\/introducing-my-new-patreon-page\/","url_meta":{"origin":722,"position":1},"title":"Introducing my New Patreon Page!","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"November 5, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Thank you to everyone who came out to see my work at the recent Gowanus Open Studios. Since then, I've been extremely busy setting up and testing my new page on Patreon.com. \u00a0I'm now ready to officially invite you to come check it out, and help me keep making art!\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Announcements"","block_context":{"text":"Announcements","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/category\/announcements\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Official-launch-768x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Official-launch-768x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Official-launch-768x1024.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1173,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2023\/03\/re-introducing-manomayakaya-3-let-it-pervade-everywhere\/","url_meta":{"origin":722,"position":2},"title":"[Re-]Introducing Manomayakaya #3 – “Let it pervade everywhere”","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"March 1, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Manomayakaya #3 (Let it pervade everywhere), oil on canvas, 30x30\", 2013 Important Update, May 1, 2023: After thoughtful consideration, Arts Gowanus has decided to pull the plug on our Artsy gallery, referenced in the post below. The Artsy site will be up just until May 15, after which time the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mmk3-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mmk3-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mmk3-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mmk3-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mmk3-6.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":305,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2015\/04\/project-365\/","url_meta":{"origin":722,"position":3},"title":"Project: 365","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"April 19, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Back in October, I started a new, year-long project to document my ongoing\u00a0practice of visual exploration. \u00a0I think of this exploration\u00a0as\u00a0central to the work of the artist. \u00a0I'm calling the project simply \"365\" and the end result (to the extent that a project like this ever ends) will be 365\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/category\/art\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/20141026-4.jpg?fit=1000%2C642&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/20141026-4.jpg?fit=1000%2C642&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/20141026-4.jpg?fit=1000%2C642&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/20141026-4.jpg?fit=1000%2C642&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1011,"url":"http:\/\/azelvandre.net\/artistseye\/2020\/11\/artsgowanus-atlantic-artwalk-a-big-success\/","url_meta":{"origin":722,"position":4},"title":"ArtsGowanus Atlantic Artwalk a Big Success!","author":"John Azelvandre","date":"November 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"ArtsGowanus partnered with the Atlantic Avenue BID to create a safe, socially distanced art venue along the length of Atlantic Avenue. I was pleased to be able participate. I've uploaded some selected photos from opening day (October 17, 2020) to my Flickr photostream. 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