“Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing.  Making your unknown known is the important thing.”

Georgia O’Keefe

Chapter 10, “Art as a Teacher,” in Sue Bender’s Everyday Sacred: A Woman’s Journey Home looks closely at the challenge of creating art. She begins the chapter with the story of her struggle to draw a pear. She is a writer who wants to try out a different art form. She reflects, “Slowly, over time, sitting in my darkened studio, I began to see distinctions. After hundreds of minuscule adjustments, something resembling a pear did emerge. … These ever-changing, imperfect pears are teaching me to appreciate the struggle, the willingness not to give up, and to laugh at myself for the seriousness and determination with which I approach everything.”

There is such wisdom to be found in Bender’s understanding of art making. Drawing pears made her unknown known to her and to the audience that would eventually read her book. As a writer, my capacity to appreciate my struggle is often what allows me to find words, not give up, and find the humor in my writer’s journey. At times, when I have explored other art forms, and sports as well, my unknowns have become knowns: new eyes and new language and new understanding of myself emerge. That reminds me of O’Keefe’s thought that the success of art making is making our unknown known. By that definition, successful art making relies on the courage to get to know ourselves, communicate that awareness, and connect with another. That is the beauty of art making, and creating things in general: sharing our unknowns, our unique gifts, with the world.