Arizona republican., 1913-02-07
.GR|SELOA DISCUSSES
 THE PROGRESS OF ART


 terestingly on the progress of art with the humility of q much less gifted ar tiste.
 Art. says Madame Griselda finds its progressiveness only along the lines of the struggling. asrirant. When sor- rows and trials cppress him, and dis appointments meet him at almost every step of his chosen path-then and not till then does his work grow, for when he sets forth every effort and with an u1daunted will seeks to master the conditions which crowd upon him, they gradually seem to lose their effect upon him until finally he has trans cended them entirely and has taken the first grand steps towards express sing his ideals.
 "A student who hopes to attain any standard of excellence must be willing to accept these conditions without re- belling. But they mean success in the end These conditions are absolutely essential in the progress of his work in order that he may be enabled to draw the comparisons necessary to the attainment of his ends
 "The lights and shadows so pro foundly important in music. singing. painting and all other arts, fall far short of their effect unless the student has met with their actual experiences in his own life. Then his work will express the individuality he has woven into t. for his ideals will have con- quered all the lower conditions through which he had to work in order to grasp the lofty purposes to which his i'm pulses guided him.
 Emerson has truly said. We slip on the smooth ice but the rough road is safest for our feet This truth has been only too obviously demonstrated in the results of the efforts set forth by the student; for to the one who hopes to achieve, all obstacles become as stepping stones in the attainment of his ends. I trust l shall not be accused Of undue egotism when I affirm that my greatest successes have been achieved after I was obliged to meet certain conditions in life that were anything but favorable or conductive to what I believed should constitute d peaceful and harmonious existence. And yet, as I reflect upon these condi-
 
 with them, I am more than ever con vinced of their necessity in the ad- vancement of our work-for it is these very obstacles Gas they appear to most of us) which stimulate us into activity and bring about latent possibilities which would otherwise remain dormant for want of the resisting forces which have been brought to bear upon them. Praise is fatal to most of us. and the student who hopes to accomplish | results should be wisely warned to ac- cept with indifference it's destroying influences. It is well to receive encOur- agement-prOvided, of course, that it is accepted in the true sense of it's induc- tions: that is to say, encouragement is only intended for the one who strives and whose working and striving grow ever more earnest each time he is cheered on.
 Tt seems to me that the secret Of | success must lie in the one who. with intelligent thinking. and above all else | common sense. strives to become his | own teacher and seeks to discover his own defects, recognizing always that he is but learner in the school of
  | one great truth. as Pope says, The best study of mankind is man, and the true man is he who has self-respect, self knowledge and self.control, for these alone lead life to sovereign power The following few lines I try to hold con stantly before me as my motto: Be humble if wisdom thou wouldst attain; | Be humber still when wisdom thou | hast attained Furthermore. we should | intelligently learn to depend upon our own judgment, and severely. so: we should at all times be ourselves and | under all conditions studying how to master these conditions through a pro- per adjustment of them
 We are too dependent upon the | thoughts and influences which sur round us, and which in any event re- \ tard our individual growth. We should more freely express our own thoughts and ideas which will grow by virtue of an overwhelming knowledge that we are irdividGals and not merely ma | chimes to be moved about by every cur ] rent of thought which is assumed to be | superior to our own. We are all prone | to errors: let us seek more earnestly l | selves instead of looking to others fol | help. We will learn to profit far more I in the end if our errors lead us to 1 think for ourselves. Through such | knowledge gained the fruits of our eX- | periences becomes our own, and as we | learn to profit through our errors they l grow less frequent for We then slowly | learn tu recognize the vastnesG of Clr own minds. We are so consumed with 1 the illusions about us that we fail to grasp our own capabilities until we | recognize the value of thinking fo" ourselves. We should ever express our ] selves and not someone else. This 1 would especially apply to all students | of art The reward of coming into the l consciousness of our own real selves l and capacities is worthy of our grand est and sublimest efforts.
 Singers in particular should ever
 bear in mind the glory of the gifts be-
 slowed upon us, which were never in
 tended merely for the amusement Of
 ourselves and friends, but should be
 regarded with reverence and cultivated
 to their transcendent heights as sac
 red trust handed on to us, in order that
 we may be enabled to do our portion
 Nf +I1,,l