For a fleeting moment this week, I thought I might focus on doodles that aren't faces. Then I realised that I've yet to exhaust my interest in faces, and I'm not sure I ever will. Nevertheless, there's something to be said for forced diversity, as it keeps the juices flowing… or so they say.
Repetition in art is a double edged sword. On one hand it's necessary to practice and refine techniques and skill, but on the other it stifles originality and creativity. It's why I get bored of artists who churn out the same style over and over again, but I will admit I'm probably no different.
What's unique and altered for the artist, might never be recognisable for the audience. We might change our style in subtle ways that challenge our skills, but to an outsider it may seem nothing more than a reproduction of past work. Thus, I find myself forgiving of repetition, but stuck with a desire to avoid it where possible.
I suppose as with all of these trains of thought, the same notion bleeds into daily life more than we tend to realise. Suffice to say that I get bored easily of daily tasks and social norms that undertaking anything outside of myself can be exhausting. There are too many inconsistencies and inequities to navigate and make excuses for, which has never been something I'm inclined to do.
Hence, I find myself retreating from external influences that fail to be mutually beneficial. This might seem like a cold way to say that I won't do anything unless I get something out of it, but rather than fear such a thing, let's break it down a little. After all when you look at something more closely, understanding grows.
In any interaction there are two directions of communication, which is a simple process of encoding information, transmitting it to another party, where they then decode the information and receive the message. That's basic communication for you, and it's not only limited to speech and dialogue. In fact, most of the time it can be everything that isn't said, which takes precedence and matters more than any words ever could.
Perhaps I'm dancing around the fact that I've grown tired of attempting to communicate, only to find it a one way system of output, with very little in. You know those times when you catch up with a friend and they tell you all about their life and everything they’ve been doing, but never take a second to ask you about your own existence? They're far too frequent these days, so it must be time to re-evaluate.
No doubt things change with time, so none of this comes with any sort of judgement of blame, as I also concede that if there were any blame to be had, it would probably be mine. I wonder though, if other people go through this kind of thing in life, or if it's just a singularly personal problem that I face without knowing. There are so many moments in life where we're clueless to the experiences of others, much to our detriment.
Anyway, the rambling point I'm entertaining is that I wanted to draw faces again, so I went ahead and drew a bunch of faces. Some are hard lines, others are a little sketchy, but overall they have the same structure and purpose throughout.
Perhaps it's an indication of my own stagnation, but I prefer to think of it as developing techniques based on images that interest me. As for everything external that seems to have run its course, there isn't a lot to add or clarify. I'm not sure I could if I tried.
I suppose that we must all remember how difficult communication can be at times. There's so much we will never know about each other, so it's foolish to assume .Our judgement does nothing but diminish our friends, while our assumptions do nothing but damage the bonds that connect us all.
Take life on face value and reserve judgement for those undertaking court proceedings. Life in general has no place for decreeing another's failure based on unfounded assumptions and guess work. Remember that next time you try and put someone in a box.
Ask questions, phone a friend.