DAISY AMES

I came across this quote last night in my reading for a course on drawing, pulled from Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson. This quote was used in reference to the presence of the artist as the creator who embeds a sense of authorship, process, and even himself as the subject of the work. However, like most of the readings about drawing - relating to truth, perception, and self-reflection - I immediately apply it to life in general. I feel strongly that no answers in life can be answered by anyone but yourself. Each person holds “self-evident truths” that are so ingrained into the person they are, that to act upon another’s inclinations is a crime. Understanding another’s point of view, of course, is very different than putting into action their particular and subjective interpretation. After all they are calling on their own “self-evident truths” that are inherently different than your own. It is important to ask yourself questions and recognize your own perception of situations. This will affirm your understanding of your self as the Creator… one who puts in to action innate truths which will bolster, if not validate, the integrity of your finite solution. In architecture, knowing and constantly being aware of what you want to achieve, too, leads to an oeuvre that is consistently evolving over time towards a particular articulation of your own style. 

When things seemed unfair, my dad would always say, “life is always right.” I thought it was a profound way of saying “don’t think that you deserve anything, you have to fight hard for what you want.” I always knew he got the words from Le Corbusier, but when I found the actual quote and read that it ended with “the architect is wrong,” I was a bit confused. When I showed him the quote, he gave me a slight smile, and strugged his shoulders without a word. That was years ago, and it’s only now that I can imagine him saying to me, “I know, and I made it right.”

The lesson learned is that things can seem unfair, hard, or impossible, but it is up to you to make them right. You have to make the opportunity. You have to look at failures and adverse conditions as character building situations that don’t define your weakness, but are catalysts for improvement. So whether it’s a missed promotion or a wipe-out on the ice, use it as motivation to work harder, or be more careful. Use what has been given to your advantage - even if it means chopping off the punchline of a quote, perhaps…