BIRDS OF PERSISTENCE
persistence
per·sist·ence
/pərˈsistəns/
noun
Perseverance on a task even though the resolution is not immediately apparent
Persistence is a word that comes to mind when I reflect on the New Year. Maybe it’s because New Year’s Resolutions often lose steam soon after they are declared…even as soon as mid-January.
HEY, THAT’S RIGHT AROUND NOW!
In fact, I don’t have a New Year’s Resolution this year, only a renewed commitment to persist in my artistic endeavors.
To remind myself of this, I recently unpacked my giant woodpecker fabric painting and installed it in my living room (as seen in the above photo).
It’s a remake of a southeastern Native American pottery design depicting the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker with food in its mouth…
Historically, this is an iconic bird, frequently represented in the art of the southeastern ceremonial complex (mound culture). It was a symbol of war and for the trait of PERSISTENCE.
My fabric painting was commissioned in 2012 as a performance backdrop for an interactive story-telling and dance project called “CROSSROADS” by artist Maura Garcia, performed at the Charleston Library, Charleston, SC.
Read More About This Project and See More Process Pics at
https://alyssahinton.com/2012/05/18/charleston-library-society-cross-roads-woodpecker-backdrop/
Woodpeckers are tenacious creatures. They are known to peck at tree trunks thousands of times a day to reach insects, larvae and other delicacies!
They are self-reliant and work diligently for their daily subsistence, banging away at even the mightiest oaks!
I believe this kind of devotion and persistence is a key factor for personal success.
In light of this, and, in this age of topsy turvy political intrigue, I’d like to share a tidbit I found on Abraham Lincoln’s career trajectory.
Read the timeline below to see how PERSISTENCE paid off for him!
Abraham Lincoln
Failed in business, 1831
Defeated for legislature, 1832
Again failed in business, 1833
Elected to legislature, 1834
Defeated for Speaker, 1838
Defeated for elector, 1840
Defeated for Congress, 1843
Elected to Congress, 1846
Defeated for Congress, 1848
Defeated for Senate, 1855
Defeated for vice-president, 1858
Defeated for Senate, 1858
Elected President of the United States, 1860
…And Now For Some Famous Quotes on the Topic of PERSISTENCE:
Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence.
-Hal Borland
“Be like a postage stamp—stick to one thing until you get there.”
-Margaret Carty
“Constant dripping hollows out a stone.”
-Lucretius
It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.
-Albert Einstein
“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.
-Nelson Mandala
Happy New Year!
How will PERSISTENCE factor into your 2019?
