“What song are you listening to now?” she asked me. “Accentuate the Positive” I replied. A 10-year-old friend, with the same kind of
chattering brain as me, would want to know what was going through my mind. She would then tell me what she was hearing,
or thinking. She was completely
unabashed about this phenomenon. I had
always tried to hide it; but she could see through me.
My brain is constantly active. I’ve tried to meditate a hundred times, but
inevitably my imagination breaks through.
The only time I am not thinking is when I am painting, and sometimes
cooking. Reading helps, but it has to be
a thoroughly compelling story. God
willing, I fall asleep at night, but I suspect the conveyer belt is still on,
because I often get a jam early in the morning and have to unclog it. With luck, I go back to sleep.
This morning, Harika needed water at 4:18. She couldn’t make it back to the bedroom,
because it was too dark. Turning on the
light, I was immediately wide awake. I
started thinking about artnotes, and why Harika needs water at 4AM, and well,
Accentuate the Positive, with Jiminy Cricket.
( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z45EB4TiYz4 ).
( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z45EB4TiYz4 ).
Hundreds of thought nuggets pass me at once. Most of them fall of the line, but
occasionally a piece of gold appears. Hopefully,
I snatch it and register it for future use.
People wonder why I don’t listen
to music while I am painting. I don’t
have to; I already have it. Although,
sometimes I’d like to change the station.
Another friend of mine wakes up in the middle of the
night. He refers to it as
“intermission”, and uses the time to study, write and correspond.
I accentuate the positive. I think
about the best bits of life. I have been
enjoying our open studio in Stimigliano.
Yesterday I had four people come in and talk about art. I am surprised how many people say, “I used
to paint”.
