Happy New Year!

I wanted to write a long post summarizing the year, expressing gratitude to people and to the year itself, but now, in the deep night of the last day of the year, I simply want to share some music with you and talk about what’s been on my mind.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about a thought from James Elkins' book "Why Art Cannot Be Taugh "(The title in the Russian version is translated as "Can Art Be Taught?"), which, as the title suggests, questions the very idea.

And I feel like there’s a tricky nuance in this phrase because we don’t really know what each of us means by the word "art."

Can art be taught? What comes to your mind when you hear this question? What exactly would you expect to be taught?

When I entered my first art school, I simply wanted to learn how to draw and be surrounded by like-minded people and passionate teachers.

I’ve always believed that everyone can learn to draw, that it’s just a skill—and that anyone can become a good artist if they learn to truly observe the world. I think this act of looking, of deeply seeing, where you allow yourself just a few moments to be fully present with what you’re looking at, gives an artist their unique understanding. And from this comes the desire to create—to draw, to explore, to learn, to share, to discuss.

In the end, it’s not all that complicated. What are you looking at right now? And what will you be looking at an hour from now?

I believe art cannot be taught, but it can be shared, it can be shown, it can be nurtured. You can create the conditions for someone’s curiosity to grow. But in the end, a person learns on their own.

"I see things that others do not—not because they are blind and I am wise, but simply because in order to see certain things, certain elements, one must first desire to see them, to make an effort to notice them." — Yevgeny Ukhnalyov

And now, a song for you.

Gary Jules — Falling Awake

Wishing you a wonderful New Year!