I think midlife crises exist for a reason: our second wind for the second half of our life… a kick in butt to start getting things done… or in the immortal lyrics of David Byrne (Talking Heads):
You may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife/
You may ask yourself, “Well, how did I get here?”
Yes, at some point in our lives we may question our life’s choices. And I hope it’s never too late to change course. I guess that’s one of the main reasons I connect to Henri Rousseau’s artwork.
At the age of 49, Rousseau quit working and dedicated his efforts to painting. He was a self-taught artist. Not too shabby.
My first introduction to his work:
Fight Between a Tiger and a Buffalo (Cleveland Museum of Art)
My second experience occurred during my first trip to NYC:
The Dream (MoMA, NYC)
Moral of the story: Do what you makes you happy!
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Copyright © 2011 by Rob Dragan
