Above is my recent portrait of the late, great Casper, created for John and Brenda Cawley.  As, always I invite you to click on the image above to see the entire portrait and let me know what you think.
 

There are a lot of romantic notions about what goes on inside the mind of an artist.  One is that pain/anguish somehow leads to deeper art; that an artist must suffer to produce great work.  We can thank poor Van Gogh for this one.  Of course, I wouldn't dare try to speak for everybody but in my experience I can safely say that the "quality" in my work has come despite, not because of, any suffering I have experienced.  Another myth is that art is all about feelings and that thought or structured action is the death of intuition and creativity.  This conversation came up in class the other day.  We concluded that a thought can be passionate, without any emotionality required.  Thoughtful structures can be employed with great passion.  There is a peaceful place in the mind of the creative where ideas are not an emotional struggle; it is a quiet passion born out of discovery and a deep awareness and presence of mind.  Athletes call it the "zone."  It is not based in fear, confusion or "drama."  Structure in this context is not to be confused with being mechanical.  When one releases him/herself into the given structure, which sometimes takes the form of a set of rules or limitations, true freedom is possible.  We humans crave total freedom, like children, but the happiest people know that structure and healthy boundaries are the true keys to freedom.  More on this in today's "Point of Art," below.
 

Below also are some inspiring books to get the juices flowing. Stop solving problems and putting out fires and become the creative force in your life.  I highly recommend "Path of Least Resistance" because it unlocks the secret to being a successful creative being, in whatever discipline you have chosen.