The Value of Work

Work: effort of the mind and/or body with the view of reaching a goal.

The goal of work may be direct (e.g. that I learn or make something), or derivative (e.g. that I gain money or status). Goals that derive from work do not define work.

To work well I focus completely on the task at hand. I am unmoved by the demands of the derivative.

Words are of no more value when they are paid for. The same is true for work.

The Need For Art

I ponder on the phrase 'my need for art' which seems to carry greater significance than 'my need of art'. If I exchange 'my' for 'the' and use 'the need for art', the phrase moves from the personal sphere to a more general declaration. Now it is not only I that need but all who comprehend the phrase. 'The need for art' becomes a statement of principle rather than an account of an individual's experience.

Art is the essential meeting place of the senses where observations, expressions, and ideas are shared.

Uncertainty

As I search through this record of my thoughts, patterns emerge that disclose those things I value, and that absorb, concern, and comfort me. The word uncertainty arises frequently.

I am uncertain when my view is limited, when I acknowledge the information I hold or understand is incomplete. Uncertainty is the partner of magic and enchantment, the prelude of suspicion and risk.

When I meet my uncertainty with thought, the future becomes far more a place of promise.