Find solution
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A GOOD MARTIAL ARTIST?

What would be the vows someone would take entering the artist's life?

  • If the three vows of the Franciscans and Dominicans are "chastity, poverty and obedience," what might be the vows that the artist takes? (I mean artist, of course, to cover writers and so on.) I ask this question because for people in a religious order, it is useful to remember what they are sacrificing; to keep it in mind as a given. My friend and I (we're both published novelists in our thirties) were talking last night about losing heart; the difficulty of making art when there are pretty much no rewards, often very little money, and the impossibility of knowing whether one's work will ever be valuable enough to the world to have justified all the sacrifices. I thought the life of the artist has something to do with the life of someone who joins a religious order, but I wonder what the vows for the artist would be. So, hive mind... what do you think?

  • Answer:

    "wonder, honesty, perseverance"

PersonAndSalt at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

poverty, poverty and poverty.

The Pantless Wonder

scody

creativity, honesty, integrity

dnesan

Dedication, sincerity, confidence. (I feel compelled to comment that the recurrence of "poverty" in this thread saddens me. There are plenty of successful artists, successful people in other fields who pursue the arts as second career, and many other careers that may lead to poverty. The stereotype of the impoverished, drifting artist does nothing but contribute to a decline of culture and a surplus of MBAs.)

quarterframer

I also think there is a big difference between 'sacrifice' and 'commitment to ideals'. They are not interchangeable. The monks' vows are commitments to their beliefs, not sacrifices to prove their worthiness. I think it would be more positive and beneficial to look at it in those terms, not in the 'I have to give this up' view. You do not have to give anything up at all. I would phrase it in 'what do I honor in my work that I will commit to?'

Vaike

I like the phrase, "being available in response", taken from Weschler's book on Robert Irwin, 'Seeing is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees".

BigSky

Craft: respect for all those who came before, who made your art possible in the first place.

infinitefloatingbrains

Generosity of Spirit. Gratitude. Curiosity. Fortitude. Open heart. Sense of humor. An uncomplaining attitude. The relentless pursuit of a bad idea.

Benjamin Nushmutt

Poverty, obscurity and doubtfulness.

yellowbinder

Load more

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.