"There is in every artist's studio a scrap heap of discarded works in which the artist's discipline prevailed against his imagination."
~Robert Brault~
"Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
—Philippians 1:6, NIV
As an artist, I often approach the canvas with a preconceived idea of how I want my finished painting to look. I begin, hopeful that this will be my greatest work. But with each deliberate brushstroke, I become increasingly discouraged. Sometimes I set the unfinished piece aside never to pick it up again. The result is just not what I had in mind. What is in my mind's eye is always far greater. More times than not, my painting ends up tucked away in a dark corner of the attic never to grace the walls of a gallery or a home.
In view of my perpetual inner struggle, I am reminded of a quote by Isaac Bashevis Singer, “Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression."
Knowing I am not alone in my struggle brings some consolation, but I must ask myself: "Is there a chasm between the Master Creator's inner vision for my life and my life's ultimate expression?"
I am grateful the Master Creator never gives up on me.
Photo taken in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
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