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"My own belief--that we, on our short-lived planet, are part of a universe simultaneously . . . ordinary . . . and incalculably mysterious . . .--does not feel like believing in nothing and would never make me recruit anyone for slaughter. It feels like a state of infinite possibility, stimulating and enjoyable--not exactly comforting, but acceptable because true."
Diana Athill in her memoir, Somewhere Towards the End (qtd. Erica Jong)
"She knows that people die, and she fully expects our species and our planet to become extinct. But this belief, rather than depressing her, frees her. All creatures are simply passing through like the dinosaurs. This is not the end of everything; it is the beginning of immense diversity. The universe keeps on creating new forms. Why should that trouble us? We may be perishable, but creativity and creation are not."
Erica Jong, "An Adventurous Woman"
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3 comments:
It shouldn't, but it does. We can only escape the confines of our narrow sense of being in brief exhilarating moments. The beauty is when--through art, for example--we can help each other experience such moments.
We want to go on living, forever. We want to always be happy. We want to always be productive.
Just like you cannot hold onto life, you cannot hold onto art.
If you're lucky, these moments of happiness land on your shoulder like a butterfly--before they fly away.
Indeed. That reminds me of something the painter Philip Guston said about the artist's life: "It's a long, long preparation for a few moments of innocence."
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