The Artful Life: Ars Longa, Vita Brevis
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The Artful Life: Ars Longa, Vita Brevis
In the 4th century B.C., the Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, wrote in his Aphorisms (translated into Latin here):
Vita brevis, ars longa, occasio praeceps, experimentum periculosum, iudicium difficile.
Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experiment dangerous, judgment difficult.
The phrase has been further tightened and adapted, including by the Roman statesman and Stoic philosopher Seneca, into the following:
Ars longa; vita brevis.
Art is long, life is short.
In a strict interpretation, this might simply be about your art: The creative craft or endeavor you choose to pursue.
But allow me to offer a more liberal interpretation:
It isn't simply about art, but about an artful life.
To live artfully is to create ripples that extend beyond the self. To shape your very short existence in such a way that its echoes outlast your pulse.
To live artfully is to focus on creation, not consumption. To share your gifts with the world. To share your light.
To live artfully is to embrace curiosity. To learn for the sake of learning. To renew each day the child-like awe with which you used to see the world.
To live artfully is to give with no expectation of return. To center yourself in generosity and kindness.
To live artfully is to live differently. To wake up early. To walk slowly. To listen intently. To stand proudly. To focus deeply.
To live artfully is to treat the ordinary with the sort of reverence typically reserved for the extraordinary.
Ars longa; vita brevis. Art is long, life is short.
So, live artfully.
