I attended an Immersive Van Gogh experience where the works of the 19th-century painter took on a new life. Thanks to innovative technology, paintings were expanded to several stories in height, allowing participants to view them from a totally new perspective. The magnified dimensions allowed us to see the individual strokes and uneven depths of the oil paint — providing a whole new dimension to the works.
The exhibit reinforced that even masterpieces are a series of brush strokes — one after another that combine to create the finished painting. Van Gogh’s genius may have been knowing what to paint or what color to use, but he also had to function as every other painter does by applying the oil one stroke at a time.
We often focus only on the finished work and forget what is behind it. Songs are written after a few notes are paired with one thought, and then another. Buildings are constructed one board or brick at a time. Cultures are created by a series of small comments or decisions.
The next time you need to analyze something, consider it from a micro view and examine the individual components that make up the content. By seeing the brush strokes, you may learn how to create a masterpiece of your own.
