" ...the proposition 'Susan becomes an artist and lives happily ever after' is ridiculous....Let me point out, if it has escaped your notice, that what an artist does, is fail. Any reading of the literature (I mean the theory of artistic creation), however summary, will persuade you instantly that the paradigmatic artistic experience is that of failure. The actualization fails to meet, equal, the inituition. There is something 'out there' which cannot be brought 'here.' This is standard. I don't mean bad artists, I mean good artists. There is no such thing as a 'successful artist' (except, of course, in worldly terms). The proposition should read, 'Susan becomes an artist and lives unhappily ever after.' This is the case. Don't be deceived."
-- from "The Sandman," by Donald Barthelme
It'll never be perfect. All we can ever hope is that our realization is as true as we can make it, as close to the ideal as we can come...and that's okay. I suppose some artists might succumb to despair at that thought, but I'm too much of a pollyanna, I think. Not much point in moping over what you can't fix, right? (Well, except at 3 a.m.).
Anyway, this morning I need to mope over my tech writing instead. Or tear out my hair, or something. Everytime I fix a problem, another one shows up, and I have a sense that two or three more are hovering in the wings. And I want to take a shower, but can't yet, 'cause the cable guy is coming (Kevin finally decided that the reception was terrible enough on his tv that he pretty much had to get cable if he wanted to watch Star Trek) and I'd hate to be in the shower when he arrived. Grumble grumble grumble. Okay, maybe I should eat something and then I'll be less of a grouch. It's Monday, after all -- sometimes you just endure. Hope y'all are having good days...
10:30 - Dammit - just realized that I erased the 11/15 journal entry. Anyone have a copy in cache?