Guess What Happens When You Combine Your Passions?

To anyone concerned about today’s younger generation abandoning the classical arts for video games and social media, look no further than John Fenerov.

Literature has always been Fenerov’s first love, followed by art. His favorite authors are Charles Dickens and Dostoevsky.

Some of his favorite books are David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen, and Crime & Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Not exactly lightweight reading.

According to his website, John Fenerov is a Greek visual artist, illustrator, and designer based in Cyprus. He mainly focuses on portraiture, and experimental themes based on literature, art, and design.

Fenerov is a relatively young man with literary and artistic tastes grounded in the classics. While many of today’s young, contemporary artists are busy drawing on digital tablets, Fenerov is immersed in old school, traditional tools.

Charcoal, graphite, colored pencils, and oil paints are some of the mediums Fenerov uses to craft his exquisite portraits, figures, and animal drawings. His work has an old-world, classical feel. Some of his drawings remind me of elaborate illustrations found in old books.

Speaking of old books, Fenerov often draws his illustrations directly into classic books. Some of these he sells, as well as quality prints, via his website.

Screenshot of John Fenerov’s website, with examples of his book illustrations

I discovered Fenerov while mindlessly scrolling on Instagram. As much as I loathe social media for its superficiality and time-wasting rabbit holes, occasionally I come across inspirational work. Such was the case when I landed on Fenerov’s page.

According to an article Fenerov wrote for theautumnsalon.com, he studied in art schools, but “none of them have given me true artistic spirituality, which is something I’ve had to develop on my own.”

What’s fascinating is that Fenerov’s love of literature guides his artistic development. In his article, Fenerov explains:

And so I turned to books — of course someone else could approach this process differently — but I grew up with the works of classic literature through the influence of my grandfather, and in my paintings I explore the feelings and moods they inspire within me.

Fenerov adds:

“I find being an avid reader of literature allows me to have a steady stream of new ideas and inspirations, which can serve as a good resource to help relieve the dilemma of artist’s or writer’s block.”

Imagination is the beginning of creation

Combining different passions can be a powerful way to deepen one’s craft. Fenerov uses his love of literature and books to fuel his artistic imagination. Similarly, I use my love of somber, cinematic music to fuel my creative process of writing, and making art.

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will.” — George Bernard Shaw

Almost any piece of music by Max Richter sets a contemplative tone for me, evoking strong emotions that fuel my creative work. The music and artwork together create a synergy of creativity, often leading to my best work.

Listen to the music video below by Max Richter, and you’ll see why his poignant music feeds my creative spirit.

There is an important caveat. The fruit of creative synergy can take time. For example, I’m currently studying figure drawing. Music may inspire me, but until my rendering skills improve, the synergy can only take me so far.

Figure sketches by John P. Weiss

Oil sketch

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and my figure drawing will only improve from daily practice. It can be frustrating because I’m used to a higher level of ability with cartooning and landscape painting. But I’ve found that my cartooning skills inform my figure drawing and vice versa. They create a kind of synergy.

Learn how to be patient with yourself

In this day and age of instant gratification, we want to master new skills quickly. But that’s not how it works. Quality and mastery take time.

Consider John Fenerov’s wisdom below, from his article:

Learn how to be patient with yourself while developing your technical and creative abilities, and not worrying too much about having to compete with others. This process takes time, as it did for me. However time is on your side, as it’s never too late to try something new, or return to that which you have previously abandoned.

Most of us become frustrated in learning a new skill or mastering a passion. We forget that such things take time and effort. Resist the temptation to quit. Set up a regular schedule and practice your skills daily.

Even in the learning stage, combining passions can help move you along. Max Richter’s calming music helps relax me when practicing figure drawing. And my years of cartooning experience help as I struggle with the nuances of figure drawing.

The whole is greater

Sometimes the synergistic power of two unrelated passions can feel invisible to us, but still, yield benefits.

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
― Aristotle

Consider the passionate poet who also loves nature hiking. She may not realize it, but her hikes in the woods clear her mind, leading to new poetic insights.

“Dickens strolled tens of miles daily across London while working on his novels, and couldn’t work if he didn’t walk.” -John Fenerov

Or the rapper who is also passionate about basketball. The rhythm of play with others during a game allows the rapper to mentally escape, and the cadence of the game may lead to new approaches in his music.

Or the painter who also loves to cook. When she’s in the kitchen she delights in the interplay of complementary ingredients. Warm spices set against cool vegetables, which leads to new insights in her paintings about complementary colors of warm and cool.

For the pure joy

Life is sweeter when we have passions to embrace. We don’t have to master every passion, but we must not overlook their synergistic power.

Just as we should not put all our eggs in one basket, we shouldn’t spend all our time on one passion. One discipline may be our focus, but dabbling in others can complement our primary passion.

John Fenerov likes to read literature before diving into his fine art. I sometimes spend an hour playing the piano and singing before I go into the studio to paint. Somehow the synergy of pursuing both passions leads to a better outcome.

“Create. Not for the money. Not for the fame. Not for the recognition. But for the pure joy of creating something and sharing it.”
― Ernest Barbaric

If you’re not sure what your passions are, experiment. Try new things, new artistic mediums, different styles of music, etc. When things start to click, there’s your synergy.

Variety is the spice of life, and you never know what combinations will result in magic. So keep creating, exploring, and experimenting. Sooner or later, creative synergy is bound to happen. And when it does, it could change your life, and the lives of others

Before you go

I’m John P. Weiss. I draw cartoons, paint, and write about life. Get on my free email list here for the latest artwork and essays.

—

This post was previously published on Medium.

***

You Might Also Like These From The Good Men Project

Compliments Men Want to Hear More Often

Relationships Aren’t Easy, But They’re Worth It

The One Thing Men Want More Than Sex

..A Man’s Kiss Tells You Everything

—

Artwork by John P. Weiss