Chapter 10 artist at work

Solitude and gregariousness may seem contradictory, but to live a creative life, you need both. Camus has a short story "The Artist at Work", which goes something like this: There was one man who became interested in painting in his spare time, and achieved enviable success in it without much effort.He was originally a quite quiet person, and he only kept an amiable smile for the people and living environment around him. This kind of smile allowed him to avoid worrying about mundane things and concentrate on painting. Marriage brought him three children, and his achievements in painting brought him a large number of friends, admirers and disciples. His studio became like a vegetable market, with the cries of children, discussions on art and aesthetics, and the current situation. debate with politics.He likes painting, and he also likes these people, but it seems a dilemma for him to paint the world and people while living with them.

Finally, his popularity peaked and waned.But there are still belated admirers, whiners, sympathizers, grown children and aging wives in and out of the family.He often looks at the sky in a daze. He wants to start over and create great and new works.Finally, he built a loft between the high ceiling walls, and began to work there without being disturbed or bothered.He worked non-stop, without sleep or food, and a few days later he passed out in the attic due to overwork.His most devoted friend found the canvas on which he had worked so hard to find nothing but a single word written in tiny letters in the center, not quite sure whether it was solitary or solidary.

It is only at the end that the painter realizes that solitude and community are necessary for the creation of immortal masterpieces.This is true not only for artists, but for anyone who wants to live a creative life.Loneliness is an active recognition of facing eternity and examining oneself. A person who is afraid of loneliness is escaping from his own self.And gregariousness is to find the meaning of one's own life in the crowd. A person who does not want to have a relationship with others will be like a spinning wheel without any meaning at all.