Beauty

When my students tell me they think their artwork is ugly, I usually respond that most art goes through an ugly stage before the beauty appears. Keep working. I need to add that shortcuts tend to skip over beauty. They want to be pragmatic - take the shortest path possible from assignment to completion. I understand. I am like this, too. I just want to solve the dilemma so life can be smooth again. No bumps or curves in the road.
This year I want to live into the struggles, sit beside the ugly and be at peace with taking the long road home. I want to reap the beauty of living fully into each moment. As Osho says, "When I say be creative, I don't mean that you should all go and become great painters and poets. I simply mean let your life be a painting, let your life be a poem."