The Wanderer

Pablo Picasso is an artist most people are familiar with. He was known for the many periods in his life, from the blue period, characterized with stylized somber paintings, to his experiments with cubism. Each of these periods in his life were marked with self portraits. He made 14 self portraits in total, all with drastically different styles. The featured painting in today’s post is his first one, finished when he was just 15 years old.

When looking at art, especially self portraits, I think of the artists’ vision, what they were trying to accomplish with this work, what the purpose was of the painting. Self portraits are interesting, inherently they seem egotistical. One thinks of narcissus, staring at his likeness in a pond for hours. But I think there is an essence in self portraits that goes beyond the self. These paintings are snapshots of the individual’s psyche, their soul even, at this moment in time. Take this painting for example. Stylistically it is very similar to paintings before him, Monet perhaps, as if Picasso took inspiration from the greats and tried his best to imitate. His self portraits later in life are much more connected to his other art work, his next self portrait was a somber depiction filled with deep blues, marking the beginning of his blue period. During the cubism period his portraits were increasingly abstract, matching the abstract form he was implementing in the rest of his art. But this painting, the calm before the storm, is my favorite. I can see a young Pablo sitting in his home in Malaga on a warm summer day. After a long and tedious session with his art teacher, he picks up his paint brush and decides, in one swift motion, that he will be a painter. Obviously this is my romanticized version of the events, but I like to think that’s how it went.

I don’t know if we have those moments anymore. If someone decides their destiny so purposefully. Even for Picasso it took time and effort to reach his peak, and even more effort to stay there. But that first step is what I want to focus on. For most, that step, making that drastic decision to begin something, to be someone, is the hardest. It is by far the most crucial moment, you can’t run a marathon without taking that first step. For me, the first step in any endeavor is deciding that it is now a priority. I had been writing for fun for many years before I decided to pursue writing, but the main change I made was prioritizing writing throughout my day. This is how I did it.

In order to make any endeavor a priority, one must first understand their existing priorities. I like to make a list of my needs, the things that I absolutely need to do every day, and my wants, the things I want to begin prioritizing. Each list almost looks like a pseudo schedule of my day. I make the needs list first, starting from waking up and moving throughout my day, before moving to the wants. These differ drastically between people, but for me it looked something like this.

Needs

• Wake up
• Shower and get ready for the day
• Eat Breakfast
• Attend meetings
• Finish daily tasks
• Eat Lunch
• Eat Dinner
• Clean my apartment
• Wind down and go to sleep

Wants (Priorities)

• Skin care routine / Taking multivitamins
• Staying active
• Spending time with friends
• Eating Healthy
• Writing

Again, your list might look different from this, in fact I’m hoping it is. Take time to reflect what you are prioritizing, and why. Looking at my needs, I think they are fairly simple. I need good sleep, 3 meals a day, and a clean living space. I have a full time job, so in order to keep that job, I need to attend meetings and finish assignments. If you’re also a 20 something with a full time job, your needs list might look similar. If you’re in school, your needs list might include classes or clubs you’re a part of. If you have a family, you needs list might have your children’s needs as well. The wants list takes a little more consideration. I took a look at my life and decided what I wanted to prioritize. I want clear skin and strong hair, so I prioritize a morning and night skin care routine. I prioritize health and flexibility, so I’m setting a priority to do yoga and work out in some form at some point during the day, along with eating healthy. I love my friends and my family, so I prioritize them as well. Lastly, I want to pursue writing, so along with those daily priorities I have, I want to prioritize writing and building this blog. Again, your priorities can and will look different from mine, and that’s good! Take time to understand what you want to do, what you’re already doing, and how you can incorporate your goals into your daily life.

Once I made these two lists I can start combining them. I already eat 3 times a day, so I have 3 opportunities to eat healthy during the day. I shower in the morning, which gives me time to do a skin care routine. After work, I can go to the gym, or hang out with friends, or write. This is easier said than done, and the longer your needs list is the harder it will be to incorporate all of your wants. I want to remind you that this is the first step of the journey, we have a long way to go, but we understand ourselves a little more now. And that is truly something to celebrate.

Pablo Picasso went on to have an incredibly successful career as a painter, but that first painting, that first introspective look into himself, was (in my opinion) his greatest work. The affirmation he made to become an artist, to properly pursue his dream and prioritize his craft, gave way to the rest of his work. And now it’s our turn.