Saturday, January 2, 2010

Irresolute, again

I had intended to start the year, 2010 not 1431, with a declaration of intention in the form of several resolutions. However, it has proved difficult to get on-line here on the hill and having forgone a posting for the first of the month I've decided to take this as a sign of sorts. Also someone plonked onto my desk at work a copy of an article making the not unreasonable case that resolutions are pointless as they don't work. This wasn't exactly news to me, and my resolutions have never been formulated with the vulgar notion of success in mind, but it, the perspicacious article, reinforced the sense of living in an age, well a month, of signs. So there are to be no such declarations.

But I found myself terribly impressed with the mission statement of the company Klutz, a subsidiary of the ever-worthy Scholastic Inc., and I can't resist quoting it here, not so much as a declaration of intent - or replacement for my own finely crafted mission - but simply as a reminder of possibilities. The statement reads: Create wonderful things. Be good. Have fun. I find it difficult to believe a committee might have come up with anything so elegant, sane and useful.

In case anyone is wondering where I came across the statement, it's on the inner jacket of the wonderful Drawing for the Artistically Undiscovered by Quentin Blake and John Cassidy. I treated myself to a copy from the bookshop of the Tate Modern, having offered to buy it for Fafa, who wasn't interested. It's aimed at eigh-year-olds and upward and since I'm definitely upward and artistically very much undiscovered, especially to myself, I thought I'd give it a go, a decision I have found no reason to regret.

2 comments:

Trebuchet said...

A happy new year to you, my friend, even if the various other calendars have either already rung it in or have yet to do so.

My wishes for you include a lack of stabbing pains in the rear, whether from within or without. :)

Have fun. Be good. Create wonderful things.

Brian Connor said...

Much appreciated, and likewise in return!

Things are certainly looking up rearwards, in a manner of speaking, getting the year off to the best start I could have hoped for.

Enjoyed your post (in an empathetic sort of manner) concerning your own infirmities. It made me feel quite young.