Robert Genn Twice Weekly Letter by TNMM Editor

Creative people worldwide appreciate the level of informed inspiration and information provided by this letter. It arrives in your inbox every Tuesday and Friday morning, and it’s free. One of Canada’s most accomplished painters, Robert Genn has gained recognition on an international scale for his genre subjects of Canada’s west coast. He has painted in most parts of Canada and the USA, Central America, Europe and the Orient. I was introduced to Robert, live and in person by my friend and fellow network marketer, Harry Hartley. We had dinner with Robert and his wife and spent time in their home in B.C. He is an extraordinary man; thoughtful, intriguing and always creating. I’m not sure who it was that taught— Edward De Bono and Brian Tracy both spring to mind— that we all would be well served in expanding our hearts and minds to explore knowledge outside of our ‘normal’ disciplines. No matter, it’s a perfect and proven powerful idea. To wit, I recommend to you an email subscription to Robert Genn’s Twice Weekly Letter. Although (usually) all about art and painting, it’s for thinkers and feelers every and anywhere. Here’s a sample:  NULL Creative people worldwide appreciate the level of informed inspiration and information provided by this letter. It arrives in your inbox every Tuesday and Friday morning, and it’s free. Nothing to buy. Your name or email address will not be used for any unpleasant purpose. You will not be put on any lists. You’ll probably find something of value right away in your first letter. If you don’t, just delete. To: jmf@greatestnetworker.com From: Robert Genn Twice Weekly Letter Subject: Catharsis Catharsis October 7, 2005 Dear John Milton, After painting steadily for six months while doing a minimum of socializing, I gathered my accumulated works and destroyed them. Oh, maybe I kept a few of the better ones. I had made up my mind that this six months was going to be strictly about learning and experimentation. There were piles of half-finished paintings showing every touch of goofballitis that hit me. Stuff was dripped, rollered, squeegeed and scraped. Paint was on discarded doors, chunks of Styrofoam, linoleum panels and hand towels. Some paintings attempted materials and techniques that found me incompetent. Other works had occasional modest glimmerings of goodness. That happened some time ago— I was in my twenties. In those days the stuff went up in smoke. With a used Kleenex and a dead teabag I whistled my way down Broadway. I was broke, and I was running on empty. It was a new, more spiritual me that borrowed a few bucks from a friend and started again. I had reunited with the natural worldthe outdoors and the wisdom of rustic solitude. I was an “Art Spirit” convert and more than ever I was convinced of the value of craft and craftsmanship. Workmanlike in my habits, I would now try for even more joy in my workmanlike hours. I made a sign for the wall of that tiny barren studio: “Quality is always in style.” It’s still somewhere around this one. A similar and more brilliant cathartic story is told in Jerry Wennstrom’s book “The Inspired Heart.” He tells how, in 1979, he destroyed all his work and set out on a spiritual journey to find and to rejoin his own soul. It seems to me that Jerry’s book is to become one of the classics of creativity literature. Along the way he dumps his personal identity and begins to trust the Universe. It’s a surrender to a greater power and a metaphorical rebirth into a more evolved person and a better artist. He lives a life receptive to intuition and intelligent self guidance. He studies under the guru who is himself. His life and his art merge into one sensible whole, and he begins a journey to his full potential. Every artist has such a story. Some hit down harder than others. Most are less dramatic than Jerry’s. The more I study our businessthe more I meet with and enter into the lives of othersthe more I’m convinced that for us there has to be something that might be called “character.” It’s not all just drawing and painting. Best regards, Robert PS: “Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.” (Buddha) Esoterica: Like a small play reenacted, you can give yourself these cathartic moments. Artists are often capable of ranges of emotions and flights of drama. Untapped, you miss out on the refreshment they give. If you are aware of your mood swings, you can utilize for profit their ups and downs. After a while you get more control of their intensity and your ability to recycle the process. The artist teaches himself the skills needed to heal himself. The artist reinvents himself. Constantly. Current clickback: If you would like to see selected, illustrated responses to the last letter, “Comparing notes,” please go to: http://www.painterskeys.com/clickbacks/notes.asp Information on my upcoming workshops in New York is included here as well. Yes, please go ahead and forward this letter to a friend. If you would like to comment or add your own opinions, information or observations, please do so. Just click “reply” on this letter or write rgenn@saraphina.com If you think a friend or fellow artist may find value in this material, please feel free to forward it. This does not mean that they will automatically be subscribed to the Twice-Weekly Letter. They have to do it voluntarily and can find out about it by going to http://www.painterskeys.com The Twice-Weekly Letters are in both: Russian at http://painterskeys.narod.ru/ French at http://www.painterskeys.com/fr/ In compliance with the welcome legislation on spamming, our mailing address is: Painter’s Keys, 12711 Beckett Rd., Surrey, B.C., Canada, V4A 2W9. Last I knew, more than 50,000 people who believed their life was art were subscribing to Robert’s letter. You can join them here: PaintersKeys.com/Subscribe — JMF

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