The Rule of St. Benedict is just boring. There’s really no way getting around that. I’ve tried to drum up a compelling anecdote, but…I’ve got nothing. And no wonder—The Rule of St. Benedict is a handbook on how to be a monk, so you might expect that it’s a little dry. It dictated every aspect … Read moreMisadventures in idle valley
In fifth-century B.C., the theatre in Athens, Greece wasn’t just a form of entertainment, it was a serious competition. Like any game, there were rules to be followed. But unlike many games, the winners were oftentimes those who knew which rules to break.
It is no small thing for a creator to have his or her work recognized by a contemporary audience—let alone to achieve lasting posthumous fame. But what is perhaps even more remarkable is to attain all of this reluctantly.
In 1883, Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí began work on the Basílica de la Sagrada Família, in Barcelona, Spain. To simply call this structure “a cathedral” feels somewhat misleading. It does look like a cathedral—but like one you might find at the bottom of the ocean or on the surface of the moon.
Most conventional definitions of perfection come up short when compared to the lofty expectations of an artist for what their own work ought to be. What does perfection really mean to an artist or creator—and is perfection really an option?
Perfectionism is so often described as the scourge of artists and the killer of productivity. But what is it that we’re all actually chasing after? And is perfection really what we want?