The Teachings of Vincent Van Gogh 

Vincent Van Gogh, a truly impeccable artist is well recognized as one of the most influential figures in the history of Western art. The post-impressionist painter known for his famous masterpieces such as “The Starry Nights” (1889), “Sunflowers” (1888) and many more may seem like a great success story to those unaware of the devastating details of his short-lived life. His life was spent struggling with numerous mental health struggles speculated to be bipolar disorder leading to periods of depression and anxiety. However, unlike most of us who have our own fair share of struggles, Van Gogh was able to turn his pain into art, pouring out not only paint but also his soul into his paintings.

It was the well known street artist Bansky who said, “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable”. However, when we look at the works of Van Gogh you can see beautiful scenarios that comfort all those who glance at them. The most disturbed artist of his era managed to hold onto hope during his toughest battles and used it to view the world in such a light that none of his peers could even comprehend at the time. His creativity managed to shine despite being so clouded with darkness that he would eat yellow paint wishing it would put happiness inside him.

Vincent Van Gogh died from his own hands at age 37 with the devastating thought that his art was never meant to be liked by people but this was proven wrong as he is one of the most prominent and popular figures in the history of art as of now. Van Gogh did not only leave behind his masterpieces but also his inspiring teachings. Quotes that people believe could guide a troubled soul out of darkness and into a whole new world of possibilities and joy without having to go through insane acts such as eating paint.

Some of his teachings are paraphrased below:

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint’, by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”

When the inner critic speaks up, shut it down with persistence and action. Only then will you be able to overcome self doubt and truly improve.

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”

Life and art require patience and dedication. Each small step contributes to the creation of something extraordinary. One brush stroke at a time leads to a breathtaking painting.

“Only when I fall do I get up again.”

When you fall, when life sends you to the absolute rock bottom is when you will learn to truly love life. Once you fall, you learn to get up and this is the most valuable lesson you can learn from life because every other time you fall you will be able to get up stronger and faster than the last time.

“One may have a blazing hearth in one’s soul and yet no one ever came to sit by it. Passers by only see a wisp of smoke from the chimney and continue on their way.”

Passers by only see glimpses of you and your life. The only person who will stay alongside you through the highs and the lows is you. The only person your accomplishments and progress have to please is you. Others may or may not see into your soul but it’s inside you and how you take care of it is up to you.

“I dream my painting, then I paint my dream.”

Dream of your art, dream of your aspirations and then work on making them into reality the second you wake up.

Though Van Gogh never got to see people admiring his work and how he has inspired many. I, Sambridhdhi Shrestha, wish to overcome my struggles with severe depression and anxiety and hopefully along the way get the chance to inspire at least one person to do the same. Through the insightful teachings of Vincent Van Gogh, I wish to motivate myself into creating art out of my pain and regain my creativity despite depression having stolen it from my hands.

The Brave Frog

Once upon a time, there lived a young energetic frog in a deep well. He was a curious frog who loved adventures. He lived very comfortably in the well surrounded by his family and friends. He spent his days eating, sleeping and looking up at the sky wondering what was outside of the well. All of the frogs lived idle but comfortable lives and they never planned to leave the well. They only wanted to stay in that deep well for the rest of their lives but the young frog was different. He wanted to explore the outside world.

Everyday he looked up at the sky wanting to escape but he never did. One day he was feeling bored and restless, this day he finally felt like he had to try to escape. He started hopping  around the well trying to find anything to help him escape. He tried to climb the vines hanging off the walls but he fell half way through. Then he tried to shove sticks inside the cracks on the walls then climb on them but he fell again. He kept trying but his friends noticed his efforts and laughed at him. They told him “You’re getting hurt for nothing! Why would you want to leave this comfortable life only to struggle? Stupid boy!” The frog ignored their words although he was hurt by them. He continued trying but kept failing. As the night approached he finally gave up after a day of failing and getting teased.

The frog spent many days after that incident living his old life but always wondering what would’ve happened if he did escape that day. One day, he was once again looking up at the sky when suddenly he saw a colorful flower floating down into the well. He didn’t know that it was a flower, to him it was something magical that he had never seen before in that deep dark well except for the leaves. Seeing this new thing lit a new fire of determination in him. He wanted to see what else the outside world had. He was ready to take more risks if it meant that he would be free to explore and learn.

He quickly started gathering sticks and he approached the vines. This time he learned from his past mistakes and he used both sticks and vines to climb. He fell a few times and his friends laughed at him but he ignored their words and just looked up at his goal. After a few attempts he finally managed to escape. Now he stood on the top of the wall of the well and he could see a field full of colorful magical flowers. As he witnessed this glorious site he was left in awe. He looked back into the well that now seemed so dark and gloomy compared to the outside world. He looked down at his friends who could never see this site and felt sad for them but he felt freedom as he left behind his negative feelings in the well. The young frog hopped into the field with satisfaction after achieving his goal.

Night Life

Once upon a time, there lived a little girl with her idle cat. She always wondered why her cat was so lazy when she was the type of girl who would wake up early in the morning to study and be productive. “Aren’t pets reflections of their owners?” she thought. Everyday she noticed that her cat was either sleeping or loafing around the house. From dawn to dusk it rested, looking tired as if it had run a marathon. One particular night, she came home late after a day out with her parents, she had missed her bedtime and was very drowsy. She immediately went to her bedroom, paying no attention to anything else, all she could think of was sleep. As she laid down in her bed, she remembered that she had forgotten to give her cat treats which it received every night. She hurriedly got up and went to feed her cat expecting it to be in its usual resting place but to her surprise, her cat wasn’t there. She was shocked that her lazy cat had managed to get up from its resting place at night to go anywhere else. In search of it, she was roaming around the house when she heard a noise from the kitchen. As she entered through the kitchen door she was surprised by the scene of her cat chasing a rat around every inch of the kitchen. This was a new scene to her, seeing the always idle cat being so active. At that moment she realized why her cat was idle during the day, the only explanation to her was that the cat would chase mice every night and rest when its work was done. While smiling, she thought to herself “I suppose everyone works best at different times.” After witnessing that moment, she left some treats on the floor for her cat as reward and went back to bed so she could rest before her best working hours.