Everybody knows Bob Dylan's music. Some might have have seen his acting. Like myself, I'm guessing most of you didn't know about his welding projects, discovered while I was researching fences and gates. His metal structures spoke to my soul much like his music, blowing my mind.
What I would give to spend a few hours watching Dylan weld. No words of mine can adequately describe his lyrical, almost whimsical sculptures. Even the photographs don't do justice. I want to walk through one of his gates or stand under an archway. Someday soon.
"Gates appeal to me because of the negative space they allow,” he said. “They can be closed, but at the same time they allow the seasons and breezes to enter and flow. They can shut you out or shut you in. And in some ways, there is no difference.”
Channeling creativity in a new arena is admirable for an established artist. He survived the years when an artist, or for that matter, any person struggles with the pull between creativity and destruction. The list of the lost is well-known.
When you are creative but have developed a repeating product, even though successful, you eventually will become dissatisfied, either with yourself or others. The only way to combat this, whether you're a writer, photographer, teacher, musician, bricklayer, carpenter or chef is to learn something completely new.
Step outside your comfort zone. Metaphorically, if you're feeling hungry but just ate, the ache you're experiencing might be existential. Stop complaining or sitting there complacent, there's a big wide world out there full of possibility.
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