the bold stroke

Greek mythology states that at the beginning of time when humans were first created, we had a form different  from what we look like today. We had four arms, four legs, a single head made of two faces, and one mind. What sounds scary as fuck is actually the first portrayal of soulmates or the idea of it. The idea that we were once complete and connected. 

In “The Symposium” Plato tells the story like this:

And there was a time that humans were very powerful creatures, fearless and strong, and even dared to threaten the Gods. They threatened to conquer them and rule in their stead and become the new Gods. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves.

So here we are today. Feeling incomplete, looking for our other half, or at least hoping to find something that will make us feel whole. We get lost in this pursuit. The pursuit  of happiness. Some of us look for it in love; some in success and others in abundance. The majority though seems to have given up that pursuit. Not given up entirely but settled for something easy or convenient that might not make them feel whole but less incomplete.

One of my art teachers once told me that the difference between a good painting and a great painting  is typically five bold strokes. The question of course is which five strokes are the bold ones? So, after one slaved away creating a pretty good painting the last thing you  wanna do is make a bold stroke and destroy everything. You don’t want to ruin your painting by being too bold. So, you leave it as it is. After all, it is a pretty good painting.

The thing is, if you never do the bold stroke, you’ll never know if you could have had a great painting.

I don’t think life is about finding your perfect half. It is about trying and reaching and failing. It is about being willing to ruin your good painting for the chance of a great one.

So, ask yourself, is this my boldest stroke?

photography by time.com and me.