DISCIPLINE
I ponder discipline as the storm clouds gather into the endless alterations of God’s expression. Nature’s flurries waste no time rotating, infinite reshaping, and changing moods. I gather this wisdom within the meanings and intricacies of my painted works. My body, soul, and mind hunger with energies exhausted establishing daily routine operations. On the question of abilities, what is the appropriate measure of equivalence? Of what measure does an individual become valuable and worthy to oneself? The prerequisite exists only after belief is true within both selves, the meaning of life, and God. Whether by subtle thought or motion, you may change the way a stroke performs but may not alter the fact that your paintings daily alter the perspective of time and space. Every window you create resembles the changing storm clouds or clear skies that wander above our minds. Above all, you may change what is being said and how you express your repertoire.
A daily routine consists of the continued development of several unfinished works. At any given time, I will usually have a dozen of unfinished pieces in progress. Painting with oil is a game of patients. It can take anywhere between a few weeks to a month to complete a thoroughly detailed work. Periodically filming several short videos documenting the process to add to the final edits done late in the evenings. Keeping handy detailed thoughts or outlines in my sketchbooks, journal, and website. Which all filters onto the blank canvas daily within the oil paint. When one’s true form of perception prevails, a fury is born. Activating a lifeform, taking on breath and motion autonomous, creations of nature. There is no better place to be. The storm clouds and my paintings merge into one.
I atone for fractured relations. A blemished face to friends, children, and family members that I have alienated over the years. Regarding this acknowledgment, I never knew God as I do today, searching for this meaning of life, as the sorrow and pain come from this destination. Even with that, I would not change a thing. All I own is autonomy, abilities, and the essence of life.
I am deliberately handed down to kin. I may only gather this writing achieves some of that valued worth. I love my family. I want the best for them, even with a simple spark of spirit and enlightenment.
I spoke in depth in prior chapters regarding paint, politics, money, and life. About the roots in heart, one must have to grab hold of this life as an artist. This discipline. It is not an easy path to defy money, rank, and all establishment. It takes a world of time, many very intelligent people – took lifetimes to come to this conclusion. When dealing with the spirit, art, and God there is no alternative destination. Your position as an artist is a pirate to conformity, swashbuckler to fame, sanctifier to glory. One to defy nature? I have said many times. Repeating for my followers. I paint nature and technology at odds. You side for technology, (money, power, jabs, and science) or with nature, (religion, spirit, earth, production (as in the gardener), and the soul nectar of life). There are no cross-roads in this journey. You will choose.
I’d like to end this introduction into the chapter of Discipline with a letter that was written that I thought says it quite frankly:
To all investors:
I meet my wife on Match.com. My profile said, “I’m a medical student with only one eye, an awkward social manner, and $145,000 in student loans.” She wrote back, “you’re just what I’m looking for.” She meant honest. So, let me be honest. Making money is not like I thought it would be. This business kills the part of life that is essential. The part that has nothing to do with business. For the past 2 years, my insides have felt like they’re eating themselves. All the people I respected won’t talk to me anymore except through lawyers. People want an authority to tell them how to value things. But they choose this authority not based on facts or results. They choose it because it seems authoritative and familiar. And I am not and never have been familiar. So, I’ve come to the sullen realization that I must close down the fund.
Sincerely,
Michael J. Burry, M.D.
Excerpt from: The Big Short. Based on the Book by Michael Lewis, The Big Short.
This was written after Michael Burry was the first to recognize that not only was the housing market in the United States going to crash in 2007-2008, but the entire government system was corrupt as he bet 1.3 billion dollars into Credit default swaps (which he invented with the help of the banks). Ultimately, he gained a 489% profit on his short position, garnering him a 2.69-billion-dollar profit. No one in the government cared or wanted to know how he came to this knowledge. None of the problems were fixed, and no one of any consequence was sent to prison. All got washed over by the government and its politics. All that contagion, still yet to become a reality to the public, fait accompli.
Today as I write this, there have been three banks that have collapsed within the last week: Silvergate, Silicon Valley Bank, and Signature Bank. It’s no wonder after the new bank reserve requirements were removed, along with the connectivity of these institutions being linked like a spiderweb, we can surely see many more losses to follow. These are the few I have seen showing weakness after these first tranches of failures: Western Alliance Bancorp, First Republic Bank, and Pac West Bancorp. Carma is coming to this entirely contaminated system. I have been preparing, as should you, to exit this corrupt system of malintent. The first solution is to wake up to the fact we are all being lied to.
Stevenski Brewster - oil paintings 