Author’s own. Van Gogh Museum (2017)
Many of us struggle with pursuing our dreams, persevering through failures and set-backs and even having confidence in our dreams to begin with. Prior to my recent visit to the Van Gogh museum, I knew little about the artist, other than maybe the sunflower painting we were forced to draw in primary school. To my surprise, being able to witness his artwork in real life and discover the inspirations behind his paintings made me understand many things about Van Gogh. It made me realise that his success, and success in general, is not a coincidence. It also made me realise there were possibly things I had not been doing in my own life. Are we all true to ourselves? Have you ever made decisions because of pressure from your parents, friends, or just society in general? I am coming to the realisation that it would be worthwhile and healthy, to live a care-free life, less constrained by other people’s expectations of me; to be confident and more concerned with the expectations I have of myself.
“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent Van Gogh
Throughout his career, Van Gogh was constantly reinventing himself and finding new ways to learn and create. Not because he wanted fame, recognition or material rewards but because of a love for the art. Van Gogh’s paintings consist of extremely simple concepts using oil on canvas. He painted them using a variety of colours that showed his unique and vibrant way of viewing the world. Going against the grain, he idolised the peasant and ‘peasant life’, believing the true ‘civilised people’ were the peasant people as opposed to the bourgeois ideal of the more glamorous ‘city life’. He saw beauty in ‘the simple life’ and this is evident in many of his paintings.
The artist defied his parents and bourgeois family norms in order to paint because his passion for the art was so strong. He could have chosen to conform and live an easy life, but, he decided to pursue his passion. He struggled for his passion. He then reaped the benefits of pursuing it because his legacy is far greater, as a result, than many of his contemporaries. Possibly greater than it would have been should he have chosen a different path in life.
More importantly, Van Gogh gained little recognition for his art work whilst alive. Despite this, the artist continued to paint until his death. His work was supported and after his passing, brought to public attention by his brother’s widow Jo and eventually, his nephew. If it wasn’t for their belief in his gift, the world may never have seen his paintings. The point is that, perhaps we should not simply chase success. Perhaps, it is more fulfilling to chase the things we love.
The things that separate us, can sometimes be the most difficult to uphold, however, they are also often the most special and unique qualities we have to offer the world. They are often the things that lead, people like Van Gogh, to succeed in unexpected ways.
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