_ I was impatient during my first year at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art, aka NSFIA (located in Newark, NJ).  I wanted to know the secret to drawing the hard stuff.  Now that I was in art school I expected to be taught a system that would make it easy to draw whatever I wanted.  I believed, probably from all the art instruction books I’d perused at bookstores, that there was some step-by-step method to being an artist.  To be brutally honest, the reason I enrolled in art school was because I never had the discipline to go through any of those instructional art books on my own. 

So feeling cheated at the end of my freshman year I decided to go directly to one of the teachers and ask for the secret.  I was specific, I wanted to know the secret to painting a New York City street scene.  We were in New Jersey just minutes away from Manhattan, and the romantic idea of being the artist out on a city sidewalk with my easel painting a street scene seemed like something I'd really enjoy.  The teacher I set out to ask was Mr. Bonavito, the rumor was that he had exhibited with the legendary Picasso.  Whether or not that was true didn’t diminish my respect for his practical advice.  Since it was his brutal honesty, “That’s crap!” and encouragement, “Don’t be afraid to make a mess.” that always propelled me forward.  I figured if anyone would be willing to give it to me straight it would be Mr. Bonavito.  So next the time I saw him in the hallway I got right to the point.

“Mr. Bonavito, I want to know how to paint a New York City street scene.”

He replied, “Just paint fruit.”

Stunned I asked, “Just paint fruit?" I continued "But I want to learn how to paint a New York street scene, you know, out on the sidewalk with my easel and pastels.”

“I heard you.” Mr. Bonavito reassured me, “If you want to learn how to paint a New York street scene; just paint fruit.  What you need to do this summer is; every day set up a still-life with fruit and do a painting of it. ”

“OK.” I reluctantly responded. 

I was a little disappointed, but secretly I was relieved.  Although I liked dreaming about being the lone artist painting out on a New York City street, I was terrified to actually do it.  So that summer I followed Mr. Bonavito's advice; religiously.  Everyday I arranged fruit into a still life and completed a pastel painting of it.  After each painting was done I ate the fruit.  That was my routine.  I kept my spirit up by choosing to believe that there was something mystical to Bonavito's regiment, like the mundane tasks given by a Zen master to his disciple.  I continued with this practice right up until a few days before the fall semester started. 

That's when I agreed to drive my girlfriend Lori, (now my wife), to her job in the city.  After a summer of painting nothing but fruit, I decided to bring my easel, pad and pastels, with the intention that after I dropped her off I'd get out and do a street scene.  Lori's office was on Twentieth and Park Ave South.  When I dropped Lori off at the corner of Twentieth I noticed a group of senior citizens with their easels set up around the perimeter of Gramercy Park.  They were painting street scenes with pastels, just like I intended to do.  Seeing them out there gave me just the courage I needed: I parked the car.

“If they’re doing it so can I!” I thought. 

I also figured that, even though they were much older, I’d blend in with them.  That way if my painting turned out poorly I wouldn’t stand out as much as if I were alone.  I’d be part of a group, even though I wasn’t.  I got my easel, pad and supplies out of the car.  I set up my easel on the west side of the park, picked an indigo blue pastel from the box of pastels and I made the first mark.  Once the first mark on the paper was made the rest seemed to flow with ease - it was as if I was on autopilot!  Intuitively, I continued with a little mark here, a sweep of line there, one stroke of pastel followed by another, and magically the street scene around me began to appear on the paper.  The row of brownstone homes, the cars, the church in the distance, they were all materializing on the page before my eyes.  It was as if I tapped unsuspected talent and ability I never realized that I had.  I was aware of what I was doing, but had no idea how I was doing it.  It was like in Robert Ludlum’s Bourne Identity when the character Jason Bourne discovers his unconscious ability to defend himself with the fighting skills of a trained Filipino Martial Artist against trained assassins.  After I made my last mark on the paper I was astonished.  I had completed a perfect New York City street scene.

“Holy crap!  Mr. Bonavito was right!” I thought.

Right then an older fellow admiring my work asked, “Where do you teach?”

“Teach? I don’t teach.”

Still excited by my accomplishment, I continued by going right into the entire story about how I was an art student, who never drew a street scene until that day but always wanted to know how.  That a teacher, Mr. Bonavito, told me to just paint fruit for the entire summer and it worked!  When I was finished the man introduced himself as Sid Hermel, the instructor of all the folks that were around the park painting that day.  After he told me that I thanked him.  I let him know that if it weren’t for my seeing his class out there I would have never had the courage to do this pastel painting and I would have never discovered what I was capable of.  Then it dawned on me.  Bonavito’s just painting fruit reginment and the seniors with their easels made it clear: drawing a New York City street scene wasn’t about learning any step-by-step tricks or system: it’s about letting go of self-doubt.  Drawing fruit didn’t seem as scary as what I perceived to be a complicated street scene but now I realize there is no difference.  Whether it’s a bunch of fruit, a bunch of buildings or even the human form, they are all just composed of a series of simple lines and shapes.  Mr. Bonavito's exercise allowed my critical mind to take a break.  Previously, whenever I took out my pad, my critical mind would immediately panic and say, "Ought oh!  What are we going to do now?  This looks hard!" 

But after a summer of just painting fruit my critical mind became less and less interested when I took out my pad.  "Oh, it's just fruit." It would say bored. "That's easy. Have fun, I'm going to take a nap." 

With my critical mind out of the way my conscious and subconscious mind could finally enjoy cooperating with each other - without the nagging negative criticism and unreasonable self-doubt.

_ “If we all did the things we are capable of doing,
we would literally astound ourselves.” 
-Thomas Edison

_ *After writing this post I began to connect the dots.  I was amazed at all the miraculous coincidences that surrounded this event.  First of all, during my first year at NSFIA I received a scholarship from the Pastel Society of America, which unbeknownst to me, just happened to be located at 15 Gramercy Park - steps away from where I completed that first street scene.  Sidney Hermel, it turns out, was a distinguished pastel painter and teacher, who happened to be a long time member of the Pastel Society of America.  I would have never even ended up at Gramercy Park if Lori worked anywhere else in the city or if I drove there at any other time or day.  It was also on that same day that I completed my first New York City street scene I noticed a “For Sale!” sign for a one-bedroom condo at 26 Gramercy Park.  Within a few months right before that winter Lori and I were living there.  A short time after moving in, while getting film processed at a photo lab, I spotted a flyer advertising an affordable art studio.  The art studio was located 41 Union Square just a few blocks from my new home at Gramercy Park.  I took the studio and then while walking down the hallway one day I bumped into Sidney Hermel.  He happened to have an art studio in the same building!  We were both stunned at how our lives crossed paths again.  After that we’d often check up on each other at our respective studios.  I looked up to Sid and was impressed that he had been recently featured in American Artist magazine.  Incredibly, it was less then a year later that I was featured in the same magazine, and just like Sid, the story showcased my talent for pastel painting.  Then after moving to California in 1996 American Artist published a special Collector’s Edition that featured the top pastel artists of that time.  It was titled, Pastel Highlights.  Sidney Hermel was one of the top artists featured, and coincidentally, the artist featured in the magazine immediately following Sid was me!  Our articles were published back to back.  Boy, am I grateful I was willing to take Mr. Bonavito’s absurd advice.

Ted Bonavito
1918 - 1995

Sidney H. Hermel
1922 - 2006

_ It's truly amazing how just one idea, one little thought can transform your life.  When I was child I was terrified of flying.  I had never been on a plane, nor were there any plans for me to be on a plane - but I dreaded the thought.  When my father returned from a business trip to California I asked him about his flight.

“Weren’t you afraid of the plane crashing?”

“Darrell," he answered, "the pilots don’t want to crash either.”

I never forgot my father’s casual and confidant response.  It transformed my outlook.  I remember thinking, "He’s right." I never thought about it like that before.  If the pilots don’t want to crash either they’ll do everything in their power to make sure we don’t.  My father’s simple response had the power to radically transformed my life, by forever eliminating my fear of flying.

In 1985, I was enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, it was the height of the Cold War and I had just finished a tour aboard the USCGC Jarvis patrolling the Bering Sea.  One of our missions was monitoring suspicious Soviet ships fearing that they might be spying on us.  These were tense times.  My fellow military members and I would share our concerns; believing we were under the constant threat of nuclear attack by the Russians.  It felt like we were sitting on a ticking time bomb that was about to go off and send us all to the front lines and certain death. 

Then the musician Sting released a song titled, “Russians.”  (See video below).  One idea, one line of that song radically transformed my outlook.  It was the line in the chorus, "... if the Russians love their children to.”  My reaction was incredibly similar to that of my father’s idea of air travel and it's effect was just as profound. 

I thought, "He’s right!"  If the Russians love their children too then they don't want war either.  This simple truth transformed the Russians from an army of anonymous American haters to vulnerable people just like us.  No longer having to defend against hate, I felt compassion.

After having this realization, thanks to Sting, I decided to cooperate with it.  I purchased a beach ball that was a globe of the earth.  Each morning as I sat on my balcony to do my morning meditation I’d hug the globe and imagine love going around the world.  In my mind’s eye I’d see Russian people smiling lovingly with their children as I did ours here in America.  As I continued this practice I didn’t restrict it to just Americans and Soviets.  If there was any news of hostile situations in other parts of the world, I’d imagine the same loving thoughts about those people with their families as well.

At the beginning of 1987, rumors of an eminent Soviet/American nuclear strike were once again spreading throughout the branches of the military.  My prayers seemed to be working because I no longer felt disturbed by this.  Deep down I felt there was no threat.  At this time I was working as a special liaison with members from all five branches of the military.  When one of my good friends and co-workers, a U.S. Marine Corps Sgt., asked me, “Aren’t you worried we’ll be at war soon?”

I responded,  “No, The Russians don't want to go to war either."

"Really?  I never thought about it like that before." He grinned, was relieved and we continued with our day's assignment. 

Then within a few months the miraculous happened: the fall of the Berlin Wall.  Coincidence?  Maybe, but I choose to believe that love really is the most powerful force in the universe.  Cooperate with it and you will live in peace and harmony. 

_
Since it was recent reading from Unity’s Daily Word that inspired me to write this post, I thought I should share it.


WORLD PEACE

I contribute to a world of peace through the power of my word.

As individuals we can each foster peace in our world. I can do something right now to contribute to greater peace: I can, through the power of my spoken word, extend a blessing to everyone in my awareness, even those I may consider my "enemy."

The act of blessing creates positive energy that dissolves negative thoughts and feelings. The blessing ripples out as a vibration of healing love to my community and the world. My words not only create my life, they can also create peace--both within me and within others. Therefore, I imbue my words with loving intention and share blessings that inspire and encourage others. In this way, I help bring harmony to each interaction and peace to the world.

Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing.--1 Peter 3:9

_ My good friend author Kirk Kjeldsen and I have been sending each other our personally modified postcards for over 13 years.  I’ve just received this one from Kirk and it’s going in the top 10 of the hundreds I’ve received from him over the years.  With a few strokes of a pen Kirk sums up the truth about creativity brilliantly! 

When inspiration comes it lifts the spirit, compels action, things flow, time passes unnoticed and we surprise ourselves with our ability.  Then all of a sudden, some how, some way, the reasoning mind creeps in and whispers, “That’s great but…”  Once the reasoning mind begins to make suggestions about how things must be, it’s all over.  The wonderful feeling of buoyancy vanishes, inspiration is gone and what was once delightful begins to feel like work. 

For Kirk and I this is usually when we stop what we are doing and check our artistic barometer.  If we’re hungry; we eat, if tired; take a nap, if haven’t been out of the house yet; take a walk.  Taking care of those needs usually does the trick but if not we’ll do something totally unrelated, something creative and silly that the reasoning mind seems totally uninterested in meddling with.  For us it’s creating a silly postcard for each other.  We suspect this works best because we don’t take these postcards too seriously and that is the point at which inspiration returns.

"Life is far too important to be taken seriously." - Oscar Wilde

_ Before the routine of ordinary life keeps you from following through on your resolutions this year, here are five things to consider. 

1) It takes just 10 minutes to achieve your goal. 

By allowing yourself to give “just 10 minutes” of your time to do something toward your goal each day you will be amazed at how far and how fast you attain it.  The thought of “just 10 minutes” takes all of the self-imposed psychological pressure off and makes it easy to get started.  A big contrast from the usual “OMG, there’s so much to do, where do I begin?”  This approach is 100% effective.  I know, I have just completed writing my first book by keeping this in mind; it got me started every time.

2) Starting is the perfect time to start. 

Starting is the perfect time to start.  Take one step toward your goal and the Universe will bring it one thousand steps closer to you.  Disregard trying to figure out how you will accomplish what it is you desire and just begin.  You already have everything you need right now to get started.  Years ago I wanted to make a documentary.  I was working as a doorman in New York City.  I knew nothing about film-making, never took a class, but I did have a home video camera.  So I brought my video camera to work and before and after my shift I would video tape and interview the other doormen.  This became a short fifteen-minute documentary about these New York City hotel doormen that got the attention of Hollywood director Joel Schumacher.  Within seven months my wife and I were living in Los Angeles and I was working as a Stunt Coordinator on the Disney action film, “Con Air.”  Paul Arden sums it up perfectly,  “Do it, then fix it as you go.  Too many people spend too much time trying to perfect something before they actually do it.  Instead of waiting for perfection, run with what you got, and fix it as you go.”

3) It’s never too late to begin anew. 

When I was an eighteen-year-old freshman at art school our class was invited to the senior’s art exhibit.  Once I saw all the incredible work these students had done I became overwhelmed.  “I’d never be able to do that.”  Intimidated, I gave up and joined the Coast Guard.  It wasn’t until a whopping ten years later, at the age of twenty-eight, that I returned to art school.  Rather than comparing myself to others I kept my focus only on my progress.  Everyday when I felt like giving up because the goal seemed too enormous for where I was at the time, I would remind myself of the silly little saying, "Inch by inch, life's a cinch, by the yard it's hard." It calmed me down and I could focus on the task at hand.  I stopped worrying about the enormous amount of work I believed I had to accomplish in order to succeed as an artist.  Instead I began to enjoy finishing each assignment, one by one, inch by inch.  Ironically it didn’t take long for this method to start paying huge dividends.  I began receiving scholarships and awards for my work.  And while still a student, I was invited to become an honorary member of the New Jersey Art Directors Club.  At the Club's reception, one of the members who was also a college professor, asked if I would be available to speak to her students on the secret to my success.  I was flattered and without hesitation said, "Of course!"   When she told me where she taught I was blown away, it was the very school I had left defeated by my own outlook years before.  How ironic, I left that school overwhelmed by the burden of my own doubts and I got to return as an inspiration.  I brought hope to a new generation of art students sharing the secret of my success: a silly little slogan.  "Inch by inch, life's a cinch!"

4) Just because you are good at something doesn’t mean you must do it forever. 

The only thing constant in the universe is change.  It ‘s natural and healthy to desire positive change.  After exhibiting with Andy Warhol and being included in an exhibition of what was considered to be the great contemporary artists from the state of New Jersey I no longer wanted to create paintings.  My fellow artists, some good friends and family members thought I was making a huge mistake.  Artist Hugo Bastidas, whose work now graces museum walls around the world, would repeatedly say, “You were on the brink of really breaking out.”  I appreciated his believe in me, however, my heart wasn’t in it.   It’s scary to give up what may appear to be a sure thing and step out on faith.  But playing it safe is deadly.  I went with my gut and I am glad I have.  I have learned that I’d rather be clumsy at what I love than proficient at something I lack enthusiasm for.  Since that time, adhering to this philosophy I’ve enjoyed success in a variety of creative pursuits.  I’ve experienced the life of an actor appearing on stage and television.  I tried my hand as a playwright and wrote a two-person play that I’ve performed with my wife, Lori, throughout Canada, New York City, New Jersey and Los Angeles.  Interested in television production, I took a part-time job at a public access TV studio which lead to my becoming a producer of an Emmy® nominated news program.  

5) You're a lot closer than you think; don't give up five minutes before the miracle.

I've saved my favorite for last.  I love this one because it has always turned out to be true - and has kept me from hopelessly throwing in the towel (ever since it was first shared with me in 1986).  Now it's 2012 and by continuing to apply these simple ideas I'm looking forward to doing something entirely new; having a book published.  These five principles have enabled me to enjoy doing new things by casting aside my unreasonable fear and replacing it with faith.  So if you get stuck this year give them a try and have fun.

“He who is outside the door has already a good part of his journey
behind him.” –Dutch proverb