R is the most distinctive among the friends I know.
Rather than thinking of himself as an artist, he is more inclined to see himself as a philosopher. When we speak, we rarely remain at the level of whether a work is good or not. We keep digging, trying to understand what truly lies beneath art.
Once, while talking about artists, we found that our views were close: artists and athletes may be more similar in essence than many people imagine. R suggested that what both pursue may not be talent alone, but a slightly higher version of themselves. I have kept that thought with me.
From my perspective, artists and athletes do share something. Both contend with who they were yesterday, revising and training while waiting for breakthroughs that appear only occasionally. Athletes develop the body, will, and skill; artists gradually develop perception, judgement, technique, and the ability to express the world as they see it.
A work is rarely completed through a single moment of inspiration. More often, it grows from accumulated practice. Finishing one work is also the starting point of the next.
The process is not easy. It asks for a degree of discipline and a willingness to continue through days when no progress is visible. After ten attempts, or several dozen, what finally appears may be only a small change—yet one large enough to help us move forward.
It might be a new technique, a new idea, or simply a moment when something suddenly falls into place. Whenever such a ‘miracle’ appears, it feels less like an ending than the beginning of another path. Once a person reaches the highest peak, every remaining road seems to lead downhill. I never want to believe that I have reached a final summit. Remain ignorant. Keep moving.
When such a ‘miracle’ appears, I leave the mark ‘𖢘 Unique Variant M’ on the work.
It is a creative record I leave for myself. It means that something not yet achieved in my earlier work appeared here—a new technique, a new way of thinking, or a ‘miraculous’ moment that slightly altered the direction of what followed.
Years from now, I hope that every ‘𖢘 Unique Variant M’ will remain as a coordinate along the path of my learning. It may also remind me that changes which seem sudden often come from a long and quiet accumulation.