Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Fishing: It's Not for Everyone

To be honest, I have never really gotten into fishing. The few times I have tried it I have been grossed out by the worms and unable to even attach one to my hook. When I did get a fish on the line it almost always managed to escape. If I had to live on what I caught from the lake or the river I woudl starve.
Young boys, however, are naturals at this sport. I watched this child repeatedly toss his stick into the water and tease the fish with his bait. He didn't seem to care that he wasn't catching anything or that he didn't have a fancy rod and reel. He was engrossed in the idea of fishing.

When we become adults we are too often driven by the results. How far can I throw that ball? How many minutes will it take to run that 5K? If I buy that new program will I be able to get my work done quicker? When I began painting I had to lose that attitude. The paintings were not going to be perfect every time. Many of them would have to be redone or tossed if I wanted them to resemble reality. I soon became intrigued by the process, just as the boy is more interested in the action of fishing. Sure, he wants to catch a fish, but it's OK if he doesn't. And yes, I want my painting to be awesome, but it's OK if I just had a good time creating it.

Fishing
20" x 16"

SOLD

1 comment:

Captain Norm's said...

It's sad that you don't like fishing that much. For me, fishing means to get out in nature. We all get caught up in the day to day inertia that we call life, and sometimes just need to get back to nature. It helps restore the soul, as many poets have suggested. Furthermore, it is to get your mind off of other things. This is what I used to use fishing for, before I learned some other techniques for clearing my mind. But spending a day waist deep in a river still serves me pretty well.