I was talking to a younger friend last night at an opening of an exhibition. I have known this person since she was quite young and have always admired her native talent in many disciplines that she has chosen to follow over the years. She has shown great ability in painting and drawing but also craves to create in video, music and dance. She said she wants to paint but feels that she wants to equally do all these other things as well.
We talked about whether it was possible to do everything and still reach the highest peak of your potential in any single endeavor. I cited other artists I had known who had this immense talent and felt the need to go in several different directions with their creative energy. As a result they never achieved maximum focus in any single creative area and, while the work was good, never felt like it reached as far as it might have with a more singularly focused effort.
She said she had been thinking about just that thought, that just because you can do everything doesn’t mean you should do everything. She spoke about Twyla Tharp, the famous choreographer whose 2003 book on creativity is shown above, and how she had written that sometimes the artist must choose a single route even though they have wide talents in order to achieve the greatest focus.
I joked with her that I felt lucky to be so limited in talent that I only wanted to paint. But I wasn’t completely kidding. I understood early on in this process that I had to choose and focus fully. I somehow felt that if I went in too many directions my message, my expression of self, would go from being a focused and resonant single note to a cacophony of disparate notes. That single, shining note would be lost in the chaos, never to be clearly heard.
I got up this morning and thought about that conversation and about her words about Tharp. I felt lucky that my choice was made and hope that thoise lucky talented folks, like my young friend, can someday find their own clear resonance. I found this clip of an interview with Tharp and much of what she says here can be transferred to any endeavor of effort. It’s worth a listen.
Redtree Times 
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I don’t have the time to look at the video just now, but I’ll leave a couple of comments.
I maintain a tiny blog presence over at WeatherUnderground. It’s where I first started – anyway, that story’s irrelevant. The point is that I rotate quotations in my header. My current one is from Twyla Tharp: Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.
This whole piece resonates. I once did a blog entry entitled Purity of Prose is to Write One Thing I’ve tried very, very hard to keep focus in each entry, and it’s been such a helpful discipline.
I see no reason why it couldn’t be expanded. And certainly that business about “just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should” has ramifications all over the place.
I like the Tharp quote very much.
I’ve believed in this singularity of focus for some time and have found that it works for me. But I’m always hesitant in pushing it on everyone I come across, knowing the feelings of uncertainty many people have in choosing a single path, fearful that they may make the wrong decision. I can only tell them that they should choose that which most fully expresses them, that single thing which carries their own being. Not an easy thing for the young who find excitement in every new endeavor.
And yes, “just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should” goes well beyond the meaning it holds here.
Sorry I’ve been away. It’s been too long.
I don’t do this intentionally, but I find that when I’m deep into writing, as I am now, I rarely, if ever, pick up my guitar. I don’t know why, but that’s the pattern.
David- Glad to have you back and glad to hear you’re deep into your writing. How goes it?
The writing is going well. I’m putting up 500 to 1000+ words a day and expect to have this ready for my agent by the end of June or July.
I’m also hoping, freelance work permitting, to make it up to DC for your show this year.
[…] will probably talk about the focus and choice I mentioned in a post last week. Making a choice and giving a fully invested effort is essential, be it in art or some […]