inspiration
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“Sit quietly, doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows by itself.”
— Zen Saying
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Narcissism: Symptoms and Signs
Other signs include:
- A sense of self-importance, exaggerating their achievements and talents
- A preoccupation with fantasies of success, power, or brilliance
- A belief that they’re more special or unique than others and should only associate with other high-status people
- Envy of others or the belief that others are envious of them
- Insisting they have the best of everything
- Feeling they deserve privileges and special treatment
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Bischoff, who in 1976 told Paul Karlstrom: “I’m still supporting myself by teaching,” had only two one man shows before his first New York show at Staempfli Gallery in 1960, including a 1955 show at the Paul Kantor Gallery in Los Angeles from which nothing sold. In contrast, leading artists in New York benefitted from a booming art market. For example, Willem de Kooning’s 1959 New York show sold out on the first day, bringing in about $150,000 (about $1.2 million dollars today, when adjusted for inflation).
Of course, de Kooning was a sensation, but many other New York artists sold well while California artists struggled. In this situation, decently paying teaching jobs were a rare and precious commodity. When it was rumored in 1955 that David Park had been offered $10,000 per year to teach at UC Berkeley, artist Nathan Oliveira – who at the time was earning $2.50 per hour teaching art 18 hours per week – thought that Park had been given “the opportunity of a lifetime.” As it turns out, Park’s actual starting annual salary was $5,300.00.
Elmer Bischoff
Orange Sweater
1955
Oil on canvas
48 ½ in. x 57 in.
SFMoMA collections
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The Most Valuable Thing in the World
Sozan, a Chinese Zen master, was asked by a student: “What is the most valuable thing in the world?”
The master replied: “The head of a dead cat.”
“Why is the head of a dead cat the most valuable thing in the world?” inquired the student.
Sozan replied: “Because no one can name its price.”
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Why Zen practice doesn’t focus on death
In Zen practice, death is not considered important in the conventional sense because Zen emphasizes direct experience of reality beyond concepts, including life and death. Zen points to the present moment as the only true reality, rather than being attached to the past or future, including concerns about death.
Here are a few key reasons why death is not a central concern in Zen:
- No Fixed Self – Zen teaches that the self is not a fixed, separate entity but a fluid, interconnected part of existence. If there is no solid “self,” then who is there to die?
- Life and Death Are One – Rather than seeing life and death as opposing forces, Zen regards them as two aspects of the same reality. Dogen Zenji, the founder of Soto Zen, wrote about shoji (life-death) as a seamless flow rather than two separate states.
- Impermanence Is Fundamental – Everything is constantly changing, and clinging to permanence creates suffering. By fully accepting impermanence, fear of death loses its grip.
- Living Fully in the Present – Zen emphasizes complete presence in each moment. Since death is not happening now, focusing on it distracts from experiencing life completely.
- Direct Experience Over Concepts – Zen discourages excessive thinking about abstract concepts like death and instead encourages direct experience of reality as it is.
This doesn’t mean Zen ignores death—it acknowledges it as a natural part of existence. However, instead of fixating on it, Zen practice encourages embracing life fully, letting go of fear, and experiencing each moment completely.
By ChatGPT
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On My Mind: The importance of words
There is of course a
difference between words in the artist’s mind and words of critique or
review. The artist’s words are words of intent, of defining the vision
or painting’s aim, and may be silent, or private. The critic’s words are
to conjure the achieved effect of the artist as the critic sees it. I
think trying to define what and why you are painting is important. These
words can enrich the way in which you put paint down, they can
determine what you choose to eliminate or emphasize. In itself a title
to a painting is already a lead-in both for you the artist and for your
viewer. I was recently looking at work of Korean painter whose work is
entirely abstract, a color field. His titles pertain to Korean pottery
referencing celadon and antique glazes. No question that expands one’s
appreciation/viewing.—Anonymous
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The Voice of Happiness
After Bankei had passed away, a blind man who lived near the master’s
temple told a friend: “Since I am blind, I cannot watch a person’s
face, so I must judge his character by the sound of his voice.
Ordinarily when I hear someone congratulate another upon his happiness
or success, I also hear a secret tone of envy. When condolence is
expressed for the misfortune of another, I hear pleasure and
satisfaction, as if the one condoling was really glad there was
something left to gain in his own world.”“In all my experience, however, Bankei’s voice was always sincere.
Whenever he expressed happiness, I heard nothing but happiness, and
whenever he expressed sorrow, sorrow was all I heard.”
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The Voice of Happiness
After Bankei had passed away, a blind man who lived near the master’s
temple told a friend: “Since I am blind, I cannot watch a person’s
face, so I must judge his character by the sound of his voice.
Ordinarily when I hear someone congratulate another upon his happiness
or success, I also hear a secret tone of envy. When condolence is
expressed for the misfortune of another, I hear pleasure and
satisfaction, as if the one condoling was really glad there was
something left to gain in his own world.”“In all my experience, however, Bankei’s voice was always sincere.
Whenever he expressed happiness, I heard nothing but happiness, and
whenever he expressed sorrow, sorrow was all I heard.”
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“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”
— Aristotle
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“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.”
— Alan Watts
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The Deeper Meaning of Jealousy: A Psychological Exploration | Mindful Health Solutions
“To better understand and address jealous feelings, we need to look deeper into what causes them. Jealousy is often rooted in insecurities and fears that a person may not even realize they have. These could include fear of oversimplification, fear of inadequacy, fear of abandonment, fear of being replaced, and fear of being judged. By recognizing what lies beneath jealous behaviors, we can look into ways to manage them better.”
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“The job of the artist is to make the world visible.”
David Park (1911-1960)
Boy in Striped Shirt
signed and dated ‘Park 59’ (upper left); titled ‘BOY IN STRIPED SHIRT’ (on the overlap)
oil on canvas
50 x 36 in. (127 x 91.4 cm.)
Painted in 1959.
Price realised
USD 1,323,750
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How Grass and Trees Become Enlightened
During the Kamakura period, Shinkan studied Tendai six years and then studied Zen seven years; then he went to China and contemplated Zen for thirteen years more.
When he returned to Japan many desired to interview him and asked obscure questions. But when Shinkan received visitors, which was infrequently, he seldom answered their questions.
One day a fifty-year-old student of enlightenment said to Shinkan: “I have studied the Tendai school of thought since I was a little boy, but one thing in it I cannot understand. Tendai claims that even the grass and trees will become enlightened. To me this seems very strange.”
“Of what use is it to discuss how grass and trees become enlightened?” asked Shinkan. “The question is how you yourself can become so. Did you even consider that?”
“I never thought of it that way,” marveled the old man.
“Then go home and think it over,” finished Shinkan.
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“The importance of art history can be summed up in a single word: integration. As we’ve already pointed out, when you study art history, you learn the context in which that piece was created. You also learn about the technologies of the day, or lack thereof. You gain an understanding of the sciences, literature and more. However, to make sense of all of this is another thing altogether. One of the biggest reasons why you should study art history is because it teaches you how to integrate information from disparate sources and to make sense of that information. This is a high-level thinking skill that has become increasingly important in the workplace and in life.”