Vincent Van Gogh painted the masterpiece of ‘a starry night’ with the memory he held of a beautiful sky while all he looked at were the walls of an asylum. When French artist Sophie Calle received a break-up email from her boyfriend, she invited 107 professional women to dissect the piece which she titled “Take care of yourself”, as signed by her ex in the mail. This piece of work was later the subject of music compositions. Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, suffered great physical and emotional pain. What did she do? She created 70 different self-portraits. While we’re not necessarily a selfie away from restoration, all of these artists channelled their experiences into something beautiful.
What do you have to let go off? And what passion can you channel it into?
For Vincent Van Gogh, his cherished memory of a beautiful sky brought redemption. For Sophie, it was heartbreak; and for Frida Kahlo, it was chronic illness. All three of them proving that we can’t paint over a canvas already drawn, but we can use those vivid images, those bright colours and those dark outlines to create a masterpiece. And when you’re done, don’t leave it on a shelf. Your story is worth hearing. It may not always fill museums or high bidding auctions, but trust me, it will change the world because it has filled you, and inspired another to pick up the heaviest of brushes and the darkest of colours to make them light again.
Don’t throw away the canvas, learn the art of letting go.
