It’s not often I find a video changes how I think about my future but that’s what happened with this one.
Many thanks to my dear friend Anne, who shared this amazing short film with me.
On a cinematic level, it’s an incredible piece of work - enigmatic, moving, and beautifully filmed. But it goes beyond that. It’s a meditation on life and art, and the relationship between the two.
The artist depicted in the film, Bill Bartlett, has an ephemeral relationship with his work, which is swiftly eroded by the relentless tides. On the surface, this would seem a Sisyphean task - he spends hours crafting something special only to start over again the next day. But there’s a lesson here: art is not about the final product, it’s about the joy of creation.
Because his canvas is so public, countless people admire his art, and Bartlett benefits from frequent small interactions and kind words exchanged with passers-by. His art serves not only his need for self-expression but also his desire to connect with other people.
But now that I’m free to do anything I want, it’s time to figure out what really makes me happy.
As a newly retired person, I’ve struggled a bit with my own purpose in life. Like many people, my job served that function for me. But now that I’m free to do anything I want, it’s time to figure out what really makes me happy. Whether it’s through writing or music or some other form of expression, I want to do something creative, something that gives me joy and enables small connections with others.
Like Bill, I won’t care if it stays around for years or minutes. This beautiful film reminded me that the creative process is its own reward, and I’m ready to find mine.