A brief documentary was recently shared with me, and I definitely recommend spending the six minutes it takes to watch it. The film features Gert Johan Manschot, a Dutch artist and meditator, creating stunning paintings inspired by Zen calligraphy. Manschot currently resides in Texas, though this isn’t mentioned until later in the video, which initially made his references to longhorn cattle and cowboys a bit confusing.
Manschot talks about his unique creative process, emphasizing the idea of letting the painting create itself. This beautifully captures how creativity often involves letting go of the ego. In my experience, the less I think about “I” during creation, the more smoothly the process unfolds.
The documentary, Art of the Moment, directed by Travis Lee Ratcliff, left me wanting to learn more about Manschot, and I hope a longer film about him is produced in the future.