Exactly 9 years ago TODAY, a blood vessel burst in my thalamus, and I had a stroke. It took a while for my mind to knit itself back together, untangle what had happened to me, and grasp what was next.. I needed to learn to talk again, walk again, and learn to draw again.. then pull myself out of a pit of medical debt. This was a lot to process..
I tried to imagine where I’d be in a year’s time, and pictured that by December 2013 I’d be approximately where I am today in December 2021 – a clumsily functioning mess, still struggling to recover – I honestly imagined that many years of real-world progress would take ONE year.
To be fair to that naive me, I had a swollen brain and major cognitive impairment back then. Even so, measuring & predicting such things is truly difficult. Even for people with fully functioning brains who do it for a living. With still-clumsy speaking apparatus, I constantly asked my medical carers; ‘Will I walk again?’ ‘Will I ever draw again?’ but they went into guru-mode, answering my direct questions with Jedi hand-waves & vague koans that were all variations on; ‘Let’s see, shall we..’ though frustrating at the time, I now understand the wisdom of their answers.
We live in a cost/benefit focussed society, where goals have a schedule & budget baked in. Always. Whether in our professional or personal lives, an end goal and expenditure of time/effort/resources are constantly in mind. It’s how we measure ‘success’ or ‘failure’ in a work project, or a family holiday, and even how we decide if something is worth doing. Or not. It is rare to enter into something that requires any effort, with no idea of how much effort is required, or what the outcome should look like.
Measuring with the goal-oriented yardstick I held in 2012/13, my post-stroke progress has been a miserable failure. After years of physical therapy, I still awkwardly lurch around like a drunk zombie busting for a pee, and still cannot do anything useful with my spazzy right T-Rex arm.
If the 2012 me could have looked into the future and seen the return on his cost/benefit investment, he may have opted out on the spot.. and I’d be much worse off today.
Which explains why my physical therapy team were vague when answering my questions all those years ago. It isn’t only that predicting such things is difficult (and it is) but that doing so is actually limiting. They knew I might not get to where I wanted to be. But also knew that if I became daunted and didn’t even try, I’d atrophy and regress.
Actively grappling with my situation would bring a better outcome than giving up and feeling sorry for myself. Having clear goals in mind motivates us to begin but can rob us of joy when we miss that target, and feel a sense of failure despite having achieved something ELSE.
Most things of true value in a human life are leaps of faith – in others or ourselves – and can’t be achieved by thinking like an accountant, weighing costs/benefits. Sometimes, we need to adjust our goals or forgo them completely, while still actively engaging with our lives. This involved curiosity is the important part.
Much of supreme personal value in my own life has grown from a doodle, an exploration, or an open-ended meandering wander that started with no map. With no destination in mind..
PLAY. That word has a frivolous meaning for some, but to me it is a profound concept, and where many things of personal importance have been born.
The POP of a blood vessel in my head reduced me to the helplessness of a baby in what felt like the body of a 98 year old man. In the process of rebuilding my life, I was reminded that play was an important part of learning to be a human in the first place. Certainly 100% of why & how I learned to draw. Which has been threaded through my life ever since.
As a child, I had no reasonable expectations of what came later, but drew anyway, just for its own sake and nothing else. That same approach helps me now, and not just with learning to draw again.
Play dwells on the personal. It frees us from constantly measuring & comparing our own lives. Chasing goals. Chasing approval. Chasing numbers. Chasing awards, dollars, or ‘likes’.. An achievement that has meaning for you is still worthwhile. Even if it isn’t objectively impressive and nobody else cares about it.
Marvels might happen when we dive into our own lives in a spirit of wonder. With no clear idea of a return on our ‘costs’ and what the ‘benefits’ might be. Beyond curiosity itself. Living in a spirit of PLAY, we must be brave, open hearted, forgiving and generous. Both with others and ourselves. Unclear on outcomes, but whole heartedly trying anyway.
‘Let’s see, shall we!’
A critically important reminder Jimmy…nine years in the making. Well said and thank you.
Thanks for reading and commenting, my dear friend.
Thank you, wise one! Happiness to you and J this holiday season.
Amber! And we wish you and your crew happiness in the New Year too!
You amaze me, how did you even get through this I wonder. We all need hope in every situation and I’ve a feeling that Julia gave you just that. So many people love you Jimmy and we are thankful that you made this very hard journey. X Joy
You are right, Joy. When I was at my lowest ebb, it was the loving support of Julia – and my family & friends around the world – that kept me engaged with my life. Thanks to ALL of you.
James, this is so incredibly well expressed. Thankyou.
Thank you, Ross. It has been on my mind for years. Now that I’m working professionally again, and subject to ’employee reviews’ and the like, I’m reminded that this constant grading, comparing and measuring of ourselves (which seems to be interwoven with the very fabric of a capitalist economy, ESPECIALLY in the ‘social media’ era) is NOT who we really are, nor where the true joy of life comes from.
Incredibly well said my friend, as always.
Thanks for reading yet another of my ramblings, John!
Happy Holidays Jamie, there is more wisdom in your words than anything the wise men of Christmas may have conjured up years ago. I wish you a playful 2022 and beyond. Take care my young friend,
Cheers,
Paul Diener
Paul! Great to hear from you!
I don’t feel ‘young’ at all, in this broken body, but still happy to be your friend!
Hi Jamie – I haven’t had the chance to see you often enough over these nine years, but like everyone here I’m always moved by your insights as well as your actions. Your anniversary journals serve as very poignant lighthouses – each one alerting us of rocky waters and safe harbor. Thank you for reminding us that cultivating a sense of wonder instead of garnering milestones will get us through even the toughest of times ahead.
Jim
thank you, Jim. I’m glad if any of my meandering blather strikes a chord with you too!
Well said, Jamie. While I cannot fully relate to the struggle, this article strikes a deep chord. Play is the most important element in my life. If I ever lost my playful nature I just might shrivel up. That’s what doing Ms. Monster and Space Planetary were for me quite thoroughly. I play every day. I play with my Lego and Transformers. I play dress up and tea time with the cats (jk). Play is Joy.
*side note: earlier tonight I drove by the restaurant on Geary where we had dinner with Lon the last time I saw him. Thinking of you guys.
Hey Aaron! So lovely to hear from you! I’m not surprised that you, of all people, would understand the value of PLAY. We’ve done plenty of silliness together, eh?
I’m trying to remember which restaurant we went to with Lon.. was it a Vietnamese place in the Tenderloin??
James, Your writing makes me think on so many levels. So glad I get to read your wisdom. Hope 22 gives you many chances and reasons to play. Baci.
Hey Lisa! Here’s hoping 2022 is a vast improvement on the last few years!
Wow, James! I embarrassingly had know idea that you went through this. I did notice your absence from the industry with the lack of your beautiful work. Your article comes to me at a poignant time. I am going through some physical issues myself and struggle to find time to play…so damn important, to balance out against goals. I really appreciate your transparency and bravery as you work through your challenges. Thank you.
Mike
I’m fortunate to have been working again professionally since 2017, after several years of training my non-dominant hand to draw.
Is your physical issue RSI? I know quite a few industry artists with RSI and I tell them that it IS possible to use your other hand. Even if not for 100% of drawing, it helps to use your OTHER hand as much as possible to take the workload off your main.
Whatever you are going through, I wish you good luck!
JB! Sorry, can’t respond now, too busy playing!
Well played, JD, well played..
You are such a wonderful person filled with great attitude.
Life can be very difficult at times, but self pity makes it much worse, I think. Both for ourselves and others.
Thank you for reading & commenting.