Inesita in final moments of Alegrias 2016

I often hear people say they are “passionate” about their work. Passion can have many connotations: intense feeling, such as love, anger, or strong emotions of all sorts. If it refers to an art and an ardent devotion to something in life which consumes the individual, then I can think of better words to describe it. If this seems too pedantic, I respectively present my thinking about the subject.

In the case of art of various disciplines, i offer a point of view. Whether one is a writer, musician, dancer, painter, actor or involved in any branch of discipline, the concentration and determination towards achieving the goal of excellence requires some degree of sacrifice. Time and energy both mental and physical must be applied. The “minute particulars” as William Blake put it. Art is not “self expression” or  a wild state of being, but focus and attention to detail.

For my part, I would substitute the word power or that feeling of mastery that comes with a difficult task realized, and the sensation of control over the work. This is the way to perfection if it is ever reached. It might be a lofty goal, but I believe that diligent study is the path to greatness.  Possibly, it remains  out of reach for most of us. However,  it is the journey that matters.