Living in the One Party State

 

To Save the Country, Break the Economy

Trump’s mugshot from the Georgia legal circus made the rounds today on every social platform. It’s likely the most famous mugshot ever. MAGA country is going to make it fun. I’ve already seen a handful of funny takes. The meme champions are up their noses in ideas now. I imagine the Left is also celebrating. It’s the best they can do for a president that they just can’t get to without busting up the whole place. For bitter, basement dwelling progressives Trump is the spider they can’t kill. He runs under the stove after they grab the broom, he goes into a crack in the wall when they try to smash him with their sandals.

Failing to get him creates a reckless combination of busted floors and broken cabinets as they try in vain to kill him.

The deep state is actually tearing up the country to make an example of him. But it’s exposing our government for the soviet style security state it is. Complete with goon squads that arrest pro-lifers and other undesirables on the right, they don’t hide their contempt. The difference is, we still pretend it’s politics as usual. The Republicans had a debate the other night for the primaries which are still 8 months away. I didn’t watch it. I’ve soured on debates. Not because I think the candidates are bad, but I’m not watching anything that’s so irrelevant to my daily life. I heard a couple of coworkers discussing the debates at work, who they like and why. It’s like they didn’t see an election stolen just a few years ago. We’re already on the next one, examining issues like crime and the border as if it makes a difference.

Presidents don’t run the country. That much is clear now. Trump showed this and he’s been paying a heavy price ever since. Biden is as sharp as a beach ball and getting further from reality every day. There is an entrenched group of people who make the decisions. The elected guys go around and sign bills and give speeches, but their real value is in setting the agenda for the country. Democrats control narratives, Republicans promise not to be racists. Democrats use government offices to impose their will. Republicans pay high priced defenders to stay out of jail. Democrats play football, Republicans play footsie.

There isn’t really an opposition party. How can there be if the all the power exists at the federal level. If you’re an AG in red state that tries to jail a Democrat official as a tit for tat because of Trump, you’ll be locked up too. State officials have no real power when the Department of Justice can quash anything they don’t like. Merrick Garland even came after parents who criticized the school boards over useless mask mandates.  

I’m a Trump guy for sure, but no one on the Right has explained to me how he gets elected this time. The same crooked people and processes are in place in all the same places. From Georgia’s inner city ballot counting machine to Wisconsin’s bloated voter rolls. Arizona made sure all the MAGA types lost and Pennsylvania boarded up their vote counting areas vote creating areas. We’ve made mailing in ballots a normal part of voting. That’s an obvious recipe for fraud. If you can’t count the votes on the same day, someone is cheating. And yes, I’m remembering the Florida recount incident from 2000 as well.

Ballot harvesting is a disgrace and should be illegal. That’s when you send mules around to “collect” votes and drop them off. Some sites describe ballot harvesting as a process that’s been abused in the past. Umm…yeah you think? Abuse is kind of the point, just like with mail in ballots.

It’s tough to pick an issue that’s more critical to the country than its voting infrastructure. I don’t just mean the machines but the whole apparatus. Voting need not be this complex. When something is this complex, look for fraud. It was one of the mantras of my favorite writer P.J. O’Rourke. He was talking about the subprime mortgage fiasco from 2008. I think it applies here too.  

The best ideas on how to dismantle this behemoth of corruption won’t come from the Republican debate stage. There are some capable leaders up there, it’s not about them. None of them can do what’s necessary to bring the country back. It only happens when you bankrupt the country. You can only do it by draining the swamp, in a matter of speaking. Unfortunately, that looks like bank failures, runaway inflation or depression where the dollar collapses. Power drains when money drains. I’m not eager to lose my savings or start working 3 jobs just to keep the lights on. But it might be the only way to save the county.

Can America gain its former glory as the place to park money, to send your kids to school and worship freely? There has to be a rebuilding phase that’s painful or we won’t remember what got us here. There was no real collapse after 2008 because the government backstopped everything. With another big crisis they won’t be able to. But don’t worry, we’ll have Trump in jail for sure next time.

 

Situational Stress and Decision Making

 

Panic Creates Poor Decisions When Stress Takes Over

What’s your situational stress tree look like? Are there particular events or people that cause that panic in you? It might be troubleshooting wonky software while people wait, or trying to unclog a backed up drain while the water rises. Making decisions in desperate, time sensitive events is a learned skill.

Situation

My gas grill caught on fire while cooking dinner earlier. I just bought a new propane tank and hooked up the hose. I turned on the lever and clicked the ignite button. The rack heated up quickly and I tossed the burgers and pork chops on. After 10 minutes I opened the lid to check on them. Dripping grease from the hamburger was creating a real flame up. I slid the patties back just off the flame. On the second try, I noticed the fire seemed even more out of control. That’s when I tried to turn the regulator nob down and noticed it wasn’t connected to the lever. The heat from the fire had melted the nob down.

As I glanced down at the tank and noticed the fire climbing up the hose. I ran quickly into the yard and unscrewed the garden hose from the sprinkler. I just happened to be watering the grass then as well. I sprayed the fire with water hoping to put it out. But the grill hose was being fed a stream of gas from the tank. The water did nothing. I was reluctant to shut off the valve and risk get burned from the fire escaping through a hole in the hose. I managed to grab the nob and turn it. Nothing happened. At this point I started praying. I kept at it with the water and eventually the fire died down enough, where I could disconnect the hose from the propane tank.

 I don’t think I took a breath until the flames were completely gone. What a mess.

Reflection

My meal was mostly done by that point. I left the burgers and pork chops sitting on the grill with the lid closed for 5 more minutes. I was more concerned with the pork chops than the burgers. They were pushed all the way back to the lower heat so I knew they needed more time. After the fiasco I reconnected the garden hose to the sprinkler and watched it traverse slowly over the lawn. I should have been pissed about the loss of a grill but all I could think about was how grateful I was that the conflagration didn’t spread. My brother gave me the grill after he moved. My dad gave it to him a few years ago. It’s hardly a new piece of equipment, it’s seen work if you know what I mean. Besides I didn’t pay for it.

The best course of action would’ve been to disconnect the tank from the hose instead of turning the nob off. When it’s disconnected the gas stops flowing. But I didn’t think of it at the time. When panic sets in you rarely do the correct thing. I didn’t want to get my hands anywhere near the fire. Water puts out fire. In my quick thinking brain I grabbed the garden hose and sprayed, forgetting about the gas feeding it. There was a better way to fix it, but my mind was racing. Panic creates a scrambled picture of what to do. It’s fear, overwhelming our mind right when we really need to think clearly. Most people can think of some situation in life where panic lead to an unmitigated disaster.

Recognition

From escalating road rage incidents to grill fires that catch you off guard. On more than one occasion I let stress cloud my mind, in little league. As a pitcher, I remember loading the bases after a few balls and a string of smart hitters. The next kid hit a bomb, and so did the next. Every pitcher knows that feeling of humiliation when a guy goes deep on your slow moving change up. Panic ensured that I wouldn’t be able to get anyone out on that particular inning. The stress created doubt. Doubt led to poor, quick decisions made in anger.

I’ve always had a lot of respect for anyone who could deal with situational stress without falling apart. High performing athletes have this. I used to think it was innate, the same way others become an emotional wreck with the slightest bit of stress. Some of it probably is innate, but learning how to overcome in a tense situation is a skill too. Like most situations in life, the more experience you have with stress the easier it gets. The stakes might increase with the responsibility, but if you learn how to handle it, you’ll always win.

I’m the type who cares too much about what others think. It plays into my decision making tree in some way. Like, if I make this quick decision and it’s the wrong thing, I’ll look stupid. I hate to look stupid. Everyone hates to look stupid but, some dwell on the criticism more than others. I’m afraid I do. When situational stress hits my mind spins through a quick series of decisions without landing on one. That way I haven’t committed to any of them. If you’ve ever seen that giant vertical wheel the contestants spin on the price is right, it’s a bit like that. Except instead of the wheel, eventually, finding a price, mine just keeps going.

Conclusion

In recent years I’ve tried to improve this panic decision making. Prayer is the first thing for me. Actually, being hyper aware is the first part. But when I consciously slow down my response, and ignore reactions from others I can right the ship, er put out the fire. We all react to different stressors in different ways, but if you work on your responses you won’t be a slave to them.

Inflation Woes

 

Short Term Pain For Long Term Thinkers

How often do you find yourself saying, 

“Ughh, these prices. I’ll need a raise at some point, show me the bargains"?

At Walmart the other day, yes I shop there you snobs, I grabbed the small cart for a midweek shopping run. The midweek buy is just for essentials, mostly Sudafed and whiskey. I haven’t had to take the calculator with me in a long time and that’s just fine. It’s a good practice when you’re trying to be frugal and get the most for your buck. I thought my Aldi days ended after college, yes I shopped there you snobs. 

At a certain point I became a little more finicky about my groceries and swore off that discount juggernaut. I might be taking a closer look at it again if prices keep going up like they are.

I get used to buying, roughly, the same items and spending the same amount without even trying. There are some days when I need the extras, laundry soap and paper towels, that add a higher percentage to the bill. Mostly I’ve got my grocery bill locked in. The problem is inflation. We all know instinctively what it is and what it feels like. It’s a tax you weren’t counting on, or a pay cut right off the top of your salary. You might not think about it until you’re in line at Walmart and your cashier announces the total. Your first reaction might be “How many pizza rolls did I get anyway?” Or “I thought I left the institutional size bacon pack in the freezer”.

Inflation is the surprise you didn’t see coming. Maybe you should have, but it’s hidden. Prices rise when the money supply increases. In our recent history the most common way of creating inflation is through bond buying. The Fed purchases bonds from large banks and the cash it uses to buy the bonds goes into the economy via the banks. The purpose is to get the banks to use that cash to issue loans to other businesses. When companies get loans they go out and build, buy and hire. The extra cash in the market is supposed to get the economy going.

They can also purchase toxic loans, that's what happened in 2008. The Fed set up a fund and capped it at $700 billion, to be used to purchase troubled assets. Those crappy packaged loans that caused all the trouble to begin with.

But that’s in the textbooks already. It’s Wikipedia stuff about TARP (troubled asset relief program) and website summaries about how bond buying works. In truth it’s never that clean, especially when politics are involved. No president wants to have a stock market crash on their watch. Bankers don’t want lines and panics outside their offices. Investors, from the big funds to the small financial planners are loathe to lose value. Business owners of all sizes can’t afford to shut down operations for even a few days. Money goes out to lenders, and it comes in from customers all day. When capital stops flowing it’s a loss for everyone.

JFK famously said that a rising tide lifts all boats. That’s certainly true for a time. But the tide eventually goes out.

We’re in low tide economic season right now. The inflation is the result of overspending by the federal government. As long as business is good, the increasing tax receipts takes care of the debt. But without accountability there is no brake on spending. Most of our budgets are on autopilot anyway. Don’t fall for those debt limit charades Congress pulls every year. It’s theater. There isn’t a real debt limit anyway. As long as everyone gets paid (in a manner of speaking) majorities aren’t likely to actually vote down a budget. Keeping the debt limit in place sends a signal to the rubes (yes, me too) that they’re still negotiating responsibly. You know, cause two Trillion dollars of spending is reigning it in.

We might be in for another housing type crisis like the one in 2008. I say “housing-type” because of the fraud inherent in the packaged loans. They were valued high but worth nothing. Where are the overpriced bargains? What out there is priced like a high rise condo in South Beach, but is actually a condemned apartment building in Baltimore? Economic downturns are for people on the sidelines looking for good deals. It’s when the savers finally get their shot at some value buys. Collapsing prices, and yes recessions, are good for scrappers that stay out of debt. No one wants a 1920s era depression that wipes out the economy for a decade, but an honest recession exposes the underlying weakness. That’s how it’s supposed to work.

The government will never allow the biggest banks to fail. They’re tied in with the Fed like bells on a string. It’s not a market economy in the truest sense anymore. With no risk there is no reward. Lenders can take huge ‘risks’ because failure isn’t really failure when the government backstops your efforts. This only changes if the whole system collapses. That’s some serious Mad Max type carnage that no one wants. Or maybe I’m wrong. There may be a way to save this thing without the cage fights and desert gangs. It will probably take going back to Aldi for a bit. We’ll all have to learn how to save again. We’ll have to break out the calculators and argue with the cashier over a $1.50 coupon on Honey Bunches of Oats. But I can’t imagine the US economy becomes a place for everyone again without some short term pain.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moods and Sunshine: Summer and Winter

 

A Superficial Happiness: Whether Moods?

The sun is finally out. Today started a little drizzly. It stopped almost as quick as it started and the clouds made it feel muggy. I went for a short walk this morning like I always do on Sunday. The air was thick with moisture but the sun never came up and burned up the excess standing water. The more I live in Oklahoma the more I like the summer heat. The hot weeks in summer aren’t pleasant, but I prefer the heat to the early onset winter. Of course I’m not a roofer and I don’t landscape, I’m sympathetic to those who can’t wait for cooler days. But for me, lightweight clothing and flip flops are critical to my inner happiness. Is that superficial?

Light Not Heat

 I just finished grilling some burgers and brats for the week. The older I get, the more I grill for the week instead of just the current meal. Of course it means I’ll be eating burgers till probably Saturday however. The air was still gloomy and moist, the grill heat and the humidity made for an uncomfortable wait. Now that I’m seated and writing the sun makes an appearance. I always feel mentally sound when the sun is out. I don’t think I could live in a part of the world where the sky was overcast on a regular basis. I took a vacation to Ireland with my brother and his roommate a few years ago.

We spent a week traveling through the countryside and staying in cities. It’s a lush, beautiful country with a chilly temperature (even in August) that brings rain and clouds frequently. As lovely as it is, I’m a summer guy. I wouldn’t want to live there. I genuinely enjoy the heat and the sunshine. As I’ve told many people though, summer is about sunshine more than heat. The darkness is depressing. It’s August now and the morning sun is already coming up later and later. I’m more aware of it because I jog in my neighborhood twice per week. Of course I can run in the dark, but I rather like to see the sun come up over the horizon. There is a perfect spot near the fairgrounds where I can see it peak slightly above the eastern tree line. If I time it just right, I’ll catch the first rays.  

Sunny Side

When did this fascination with the sun begin? I can’t place it exactly but it can’t be that unusual either. I don’t even like days in the summer when it’s overcast and threatening rain. If it must rain then do it after midnight, and if the thunderclaps wake me there’ll be hell to pay. Sorry for being so finicky but it’s how I’m wired. Most personality traits can be traced back to childhood, I assume spending time outdoors late into the evening has something to do with it. Summers meant chasing lightning bugs in July, watching fireworks after a full day of swimming at the lake. My brother and our cousin used to ride our bikes between our houses before we had jobs. We all went through a rollerblade phase too. My affinity for sunny days might relate to that break in the middle of year when school is far from the imagination.

 It makes sense for most people to associate warm weather with sun and cold weather with gloomy skies. After all warm weather means summer and cold means winter. Maybe it’s just too much for some people to break that recognizable pattern in their minds.

Weather and Moods

After some quick google searching about the phenomena of mood shifts due to weather, I don’t believe I get depressed to any large degree. But the difference in my attitude from summer to winter is noticeable. But it’s more about the lack of sunlight then the temperature. I don’t sleep late or mope around the house unable to do regular chores, it’s more of a longing for warmth and light. It just feels worse on those long weeks of clouds and gloom. 

Maybe my future is in Phoenix or Winslow or Las Vegas. All of the sunniest cities in the US are in the Southeast. Most of the cloudiest ones are in the Northwest, Anchorage, Seattle and Tacoma. There are quite a few in the Ohio River Valley region too, Pittsburg and Cleveland. Buffalo gets a dishonorable mention for the Northeast region. The rest of the country falls in the middle. Oklahoma probably gets more sun than clouds but the article didn’t say. 

Conclusion

Is all this weather and sunshine business a real issue? Are moods really affected that much by the weather? Some research suggests it’s not. But those studies are based on genuine, clinical depression and not the kind of low level sadness I’m referring to. I’m not someone who’s outdoors all that much, but even sitting here typing on my computer is more enjoyable on a sunny day. If that’s superficial then so be it.

Thankfully the sun is up now…and I’m happy again.

Isaiah 45: When Values Flip

 

Warning from Isaiah or "Your Cheatin' Heart"

The difference between a teacher and a hall monitor is not just one of authority. A teacher explains a new concept while a hall monitor enforces an existing rule. Knowledge defines the difference. In one situation the student is ignorant. In the other, he’s just acting like it.

Much of the rebellion from Judah, in Isaiah’s time, demands the hall monitor approach.

“I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob’s descendants, seek me in vain. I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right.” (Isaiah 45:19).

This is right in the middle of a return-to-me message from the prophet Isaiah. The Lord draws distinctions between His authority, and the worthlessness of the pagan gods they’ve run off with.

Material Worship

Idol worship was common among the people of all over the Middle East. Idols are still, in most cases, carved from wood or other natural material like gold and silver. The golden calf worship that Aaron (Mosses' brother) fashioned at Mount Sinai was the impetus for an ordered system of rules. The worship of materials is a basic law that goes back to the 10 Commandments. It’s an offensive practice to God, because it’s literally placing greater importance on an object than the One who created it.

The children of Israel knew this by the time Isaiah began writing. They didn’t need a new lesson about the nature of God or the created earth. Their value system had flipped and reminders were needed.

I’ve been watching the Ken Burns film Country Music on PBS. It came out a few years ago but I never caught the whole series. The fact that I’ve never listened to Country is beside the point. It’s part of American history I don’t know well. Besides, a lot of the music that’s linked with Country isn’t exactly from that genre. I don’t think of Willie Nelson as Country but he is heavily featured in the series.

Hank Williams is certainly Country. His unmistakably twangy pitch and soulful lyrics drip with regret. You don’t have to know the genre to know who he was. I was surprised that he only lived to 29 years old and had an impressive 55 number one single hits on the Country charts.

For all his success, can you imagine worshiping the creative genius of Hank Williams? No one would do this consciously, make a shrine to the man or his records. Any greatness that stems from human effort, is a reflection of God’s original creative work. We get it turned around sometimes. Our values get flipped.

Isaiah continues “Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to gods that cannot save.” (verse 20)

Pagan Worship

From the scripture in Isaiah, God draws a distinction between Himself and the worship of created things and ancient myths. In Isaiah’s time, the only truth about the ordered universe, for most people, was found in nature. This was not a broadly literate time in history. Most organized societies had classes of literate people, a lot of them mystics. The Hebrews at least, made sure their Jewish populations understood the law of Moses and the Torah. Even though they didn’t teach reading and writing to the masses, they were expected to know their traditions.

They intermarried with those around them who worshipped idols. The quickest way to make them forget Jehovah was to intermarry and lose their covenant. But God still revealed Himself to pagans. This is what Paul writes about in Romans 1, a natural law. “…For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)

The Lord is saying, through Isaiah, that he doesn’t operate the same as idols. He doesn’t hide from them in some dark land or ignore their prayers. He is a relationship God and makes Himself obvious and available. You can’t miss Him because He exists everywhere, and all life speaks to His design. The beauty and order and consistency in nature is all the evidence you need. Stop pretending that the block of wood you carved represents a higher power. You know it doesn’t.

Conclusion

This isn’t a teacher explaining the metric system, it’s not a demonstration on cooking with wine. It’s a game warden pointing to the ‘No Fishing’ sign as you quickly cut your line and tuck the pole under your seat. It’s an admonishment, not a new lesson. The difference is this, you knew better. This is God’s version of “Your Cheatin’ Heart”. Whether you learned it from the rabbi or discovered it from observing the seasons, in your being it’s the truth and you can’t escape it. Even when your values flip, you can’t plead ignorance.

But we serve a God that makes a way. For all of His admonishing (and exasperation at times) He calls us back to relationship. He forgives and restores. He reminds us of our covenant when we lose our way. He did it for Judah; He does it for us.  

 

 

 

Back to Training: Back to Saturdays

 Improvements Come Slow and Steady: Running for Fitness

I’ve started another cycle of training for a marathon in the fall. I’ll probably sign up for the Route 66 marathon in Tulsa. At least that way I won’t have to travel like I did in April. I’m of two minds on running. With a marathon in the near future, I force myself to commit more to running during the week. I’ve gotten used to the rigors of training. Without the schedule I could commit more to weights and regular gym cardio. Running takes over at a certain point. Once we start to hit the 14 and 16 mile distances on Saturday, it begins to feel different. Your body learns how to suffer more efficiently. 

Running Takes Over

But if I stop doing marathons I could still run, but with an easier schedule during the week. I used to do that every Sunday, before I went back to the running group. It’s tempting because I’d like to spend more time lifting weights again. I still do a little weight training during the week but it’s mostly in service to running. Legs are a must. That takes at least one whole day. The next day it’s a halfhearted work-load for biceps and chest. Mostly I’m too tired to lift anything heavy. I’d have to start eating a lot of protein at breakfast and putting on pounds again. You can’t lift without energy, especially once you pass 40 years old, and I don’t eat as much when I run.

 I was never a true body builder anyway, but I did put a lot of effort into work outs. I wasn’t particularly healthy though. My eating habits were awful and I weighed at least 20 pounds more than I should have. Not that I’ve had a dramatic turnaround but I’m generally in better health. I guess I don’t want to go back.

The Distance Puzzle

I’d like to figure out this enigma that is the marathon. The last one was terrible. I was sick and exhausted way too early in the race and I’m not quite sure why. That’s not different from a Saturday morning run in the spring. On any given day, it might seem like you’re carrying sandbags, or the heat is unbearable after just a few miles and water isn’t cooling you down. I had to pack it in one morning, last year, after a short 3 mile run. My breathing was labored and I couldn’t find my rhythm. You can’t predict when the suck will happen but it typically does at least once per session.

A lot of what’s pushing me is how disastrous the last marathon turned out. I hit the wall at 13 miles and had to jog/walk the rest of the way. I won’t say it’s humiliating but it also doesn’t sit right with me. It might be smarter to just train with the group and skip the events. That would be cheaper at least. Part of me likes telling people that I run marathons. It’s really the mildly impressed look that does it for me. It’s vanity really. I need approval from friends and strangers. Whatever the time, whatever the pace, in the end it’s all about respect.

I’m exaggerating a little.

Consistency Over Wins

 Mostly I like improving and climbing things that used to be obstacles. When I first started jogging I couldn’t go much beyond 6 miles. I was always in decent shape and even ran short distances for exercise. The Army makes runners out of helpless kids, even the chunky ones who swore they’d never be able to run the length of a football field. A woman in my Tulsa group told me she couldn’t run a mile when she first started. This was after she turned 40. She broke down into tears after her first 5K. The sheer pride she felt in completing a race set her on a trajectory towards life-long running. Now she runs a handful of marathons every year. I can’t keep up with her.

 We all start at different levels. I usually take the slow and steady climb to better, while others quickly improve and surpass me. But I stick with it when so many have stopped. I’m slow and careful but I always get there. The goal this year is to be stronger than the last time and improve the time. I’m reluctant to set time goals until I have a few more events under my belt.

 

Creativity Needs Guidelines: The Formulas of Life

 

The Predictive Formulas We Love: TV, Art, Books

If predictability is boring why do the same formulas keep working? 

I’m thinking mostly here about books and TV shows, but other areas of entertainment fit too. I’m a sucker for the tough loner who ambles into town and violently takes out the corrupt sheriff. It’s a common hero archetype that pops up in everything from Cowboy movies to novels. It’s the predictability of the genre we like, even if every story is a little different. Jack Reacher has a different personality than Mitch Rapp. Clint Eastwood is cool where John Wayne is imposing. Creativity exists in the personas, the stories and the fictional worlds. 

The Sit Com Formula

TV is the same. In Seinfeld, Jerry will allow some quirk to keep him from dating a beautiful woman. George will lose a relationship or some benefit because he’s lazy or selfish. Elaine will become irritated with her boyfriend but forget about it when she needs him for a favor. Kramer will have a connection to something or someone that doesn’t pan out. We need some level of predictability. Change must be infrequent. It’s novelty and it only works when we understand the attributes of a persona really well.

I can’t say every sit com works like this, but they do follow a recognizable formula. This might seem lazy but it’s necessary to establish a baseline for the show. In this way we understand the characters and their motivation. Creativity depends on a baseline too. An artist needs some rules in place to begin or they won’t be able to focus. If I tell you to paint a picture of the old west in the Frederick Remington style your mind can start the sorting process. If I say paint in the Remington style and include at least one horse, you can further sort. Even better, I tell you to paint a cowboy taming a bronco while young ranch hands watch. It turns out the more detail the better. 

The Painting Formula

If I told you to paint anything, you’d spend time trying to think of where to begin. But in a painting class, you need rules and an idea for what you’re aiming at. Frederick Remington’s classic prairies and big sky scenes give the artist a framework. The teacher can’t critique a good version from a bad one without some idea of what an original looks like. Students will have slightly different takes on it no doubt. This is the sweet spot for creativity. When the rules are understood, the artists transfer their ideas onto canvas. The variety of similar, but different, paintings is where personal styles comes from. 

Unique styles set painters apart. Remington’s works are characterized by movement, cowboys riding fast across vast spaces, Indians chasing buffalo. David Yorke paints portraits, mostly, of cowboys, Indians and old West characters. You can see detail and emotion in his subject’s expressions. Remington is interested in types, Yorke in people. Both are Western style and easily recognizable. But even in that genre there is a difference.

The Transgressive Formula

But what of a painter who, in following the instruction to create a Remington, paints a creepy clown handing balloons to 4 year old's at a birthday party? He claims it’s his version of a Remington, but follows none of the rules of the western style. He didn’t include a cowboy, a bronco or ranch hands enjoying the show. The colors are stark and bright instead of hazy and soft. There is no relation to the cowboy life or open country. There is no hint of manliness or the wild, untamed West. But he insists it’s his version and you’ll have to accept it. It’s what he feels is right, and if you don’t see it that way you’ll be denying his truth. Besides, who are you to tell him (an accomplished painter) what a Remington is supposed to look like? 

Without definition there is no meaning. We’re losing creativity in large parts of life, because we’re afraid to define. When you define, you discriminate. By saying yes to one version you’ve said no to others. But without rules and boundaries we couldn’t learn to differentiate. A Remington painting has certain characteristics and not others, but there is room within the boundaries to reinvent. 

Reinvention means putting a twist on an existing medium. Whether painting, music or TV, reinvention means acknowledging the rules but adding something else to it. This is different than expecting everyone to accept your new version. It’s different than changing rules because of who you are. You don’t get to call a creepy clown with balloons a Remington style painting because you went to a better art school. Or, because you used to be a clown and know how misunderstood they are. 

In this era of openness we’ve lost the ability to tell people that their ‘truth’ is objectively wrong. Rules exist in all aspects of life, so we all know where to begin. In order to create beauty, we need a familiar construct. 

Conclusion

In any medium, creativity flows from a common point and spills out in every direction like a river delta. But we live in an age when people are afraid to define the most basic things. Matt Walsh’s “What is a Woman?” documentary showed this sad truth. We’re losing out on creativity as a society. It’s been arrested. The creepy clown painters are running the show and calling their work beautiful. But their effort isn’t about beauty or creativity. They don’t believe in it. They want to be heard, recognized, considered. They want control, to call the shots. Don’t’ give it to them. Truth wins out in the end. Beauty is eternal. Creativity is man’s effort to be fruitful and multiply. It’s a predictable story we can all enjoy. 

“Then God saw all He had made, and indeed it was very good” (Genesis 1:31)