If I had the artistic capacity, or better put, if I didn’t take refuge in the delusion that I lacked it, and I wanted to paint a self-portrait, I would craft some kind of genius Chagall-like montage blend of representations of myself, gathered from all sorts of ages over the course of my lifetime. Because we are time-creatures. Not really well indicated by any single specific momentary image. I don’t really possess too many photos from different time periods to work off for this idea. They seem to all belong to others. But I recall a thing, a trope, that was fashionable in the alternative self-help movement back in the day — what an un-flattering label I have given it — and it went like this:
“Everyone gets the face that they deserve by the age of fifty.”
Strikes me still, there was some right piercing insight dwelling in that epigram. I cannot recall it’s specific source, if one was even known. Not long ago I happened upon this image of ‘moi’ which oddly enough was photographed exactly on my fiftieth birthday. A fall friday. Sitting on a stone bench in a pleasing little town. Playing hookie from a pressure-laden database administrator tech job. A stranger in a curio shop had gifted me a nice clear quartz crystal. A sweet memory with a sweet friend.
I wonder what could be said about age 70. And so on…
_______RS
► Handy INDEX — scan through all available ||SWR|| articles
||skirmishes|| ||with|| ||reality|| 
From my observations of other elders, some reach a certain aged look and they stay in that same state of appearance til their death. – A few dont – the unlucky ones. — I believe artists cant help but focus on beauty because its natural to appreciate beautiful things, including people, so you might b viewing yourself thru an artist’s lens.
Interesting observation. For me though, I was thinking not so much about beauty but what the face reveals about the inner life. At certain ages.
inner life? You mean like stress, sadness, and sickness?
well, those are all sorts of negative states it’s true, except the sickness which is more physical… but I meant something like a picture of the person’s inward view about life and their position and openness towards meeting the world… you know, inner life, psyche.
isn’t physical “sickness” also negative? lol..it is for me. It’s kinda hard to smile when i feel sickly. — How does YOUR face reflect your openness and attitude these days? Maybe there’s a smile or peaceful demeanor about you? Maybe you show little anxiety because you’re happy with where you’re at? And is your art reflecting that as well?
Yes, for sure sickness can be seen as negative (though it can also be seen in a different way) but that is drifting off the point, I think. I would suggest going back to the saying. “Everybody gets the face they deserve by age 50”. What could this little witticism possibly mean and why did it become ‘viral’ 🙂 and cause people to think? It has nothing to do with smiling or frowning or looking puzzled or awed or contented. Those are just momentary flashing things. What it is talking about is something else. Not anxiety or the lack of it either. People can have very many different inner states when they are sick, and also when they are not sick. When something negative is affecting them and also when not. Whether they are happy with their situation or not. To understand the saying you have to go more deeply and ignore all that stuff. Otherwise it would not be a particularly thought-provoking saying.
Then you asked about art reflecting inner states… At age 50 in that foto I don’t think I was doing so much art. Maybe playing a little music. Not writing much at all. Mostly enjoying myself. But none of that is what the saying is about. You do not have to know a person’s current passing mood to read a face, a stranger. In fact it is a distraction or disguise in a way. But there are deeper things about the person you can happen to notice. This is mysterious but real and true. This is how you can suddenly know you feel a connection with a complete stranger. Or an indifference. Thanks for making me thing about all this more. LOL!
i am not sure we “deserve” the face we get at 50 but we have certainly arrived at it — through sheer trials (self-imposed or by others). — and maybe not from trials but from absence of them.
Well you know, I mean I get that the saying is perhaps troubling you from a point of view as whether it is true, false, or justified. But that;s not thekind of statement that this saying is. It is meant to make you think at a deeper level. I don’t like it because I think it is ‘true’ for example but because it points to something deeper. In what you said about trials just now you can see the difference, because from this point of view it does not matter whether one had trials or not but what one had sone inwardly with them, about them. But it’s ok, no biggie. I just like that saying very mucg and have learned from it.
i am not finding it one that lends me any deep introspection but something shallow and abrupt and judgmental…but it’s ok, i’m glad it gives you thoughts that give you pause and reflection .– I’ve seen so many people suffering who dont appear sick and i find the face to be a false image of what lies beneath. It happens to many of us who suffer in silent but screaming pain and ppl tell us we look great. ugh. They judge the book by the cover! ugh. No.
Ehat is right! Do not look at the superficial aspects of a face when trying to understand what this saying means. do not kust think about the book’s cover. I think you are mistaken that the saying is shallow, because yo are taking it literally. Whoever created this saying clearly knew well that assessing a face superficially is a shallow thing to do. I don’t know why that wa immediately clear to me and not for you. But it is absolutely necessary in order to find any profundity within it.
This was wonderful…love the picture and all I can say I still look pretty good for pushing 80 hehe…the secret,…keep your spirit lit and well-fed your sense of wonder and gratitude.
Works for me, Karima! And thank you. 🙂