An Artist by Instinct

It has been happening almost every Sunday morning for about a decade now. Around 9 am, the unmistakable sound of the flute wafts in through the windows and fills the air. In the lazy quiet that distinguishes a Sunday morning from the other days of the week, the melodious tunes add to the relaxed holiday feel. The temptation to hum along is rather unconscious, as is the desire to try and recollect the film sequence it was pictured on. The songs are always Hindi film songs from the 60s and 70s. It is somewhat like listening to Bianca Geetmala play on the radio. A purely audio experience. Just the flute playing catchy tunes and without the background score.

Wonder who taught the flute seller to play the difficult to master wind musical instrument like that? A poor man who walked the streets irrespective of the weather and made a meagre sum that would just about feed him at the end of the day, couldn’t possibly have been taught by a Maestro. It must be his own effort. Him alone for hours every day, month after month, blowing into the flute and placing his fingers suitably to get the right sounds and tunes. A mastery that is likely to have come about by trial and error. The radio is likely to have been his only teacher.

I met him once. He was selling the flutes made of thin bamboo for Rs 200. He had about 20 in his bag and the one that was never far from his own lips.

It had to be him following his dream. And the willingness to enjoy everyday and be content with whatever he can earn out of it, as long as he had the flute in his palm.

In an effort to understand what made some artists [painters] greater than other equally good artists of their time, I have been reading about the great masters of the past. Especially their early years and the phases of learning and growth.

I find that irrespective of their family background, talent and formal art education, their dedication to their chosen craft and single minded focus are the secrets to their becoming legends. The title of ‘Master Artist’ most often conferred after they have passed. They had lived their lives with the simple goal of perfecting their craft, without undue thoughts to reaping the benefits during their lifetimes. Such people unknowingly touch so many lives.

The flute-seller who walks down the street where I live, in my opinion, is one such person. My Sunday morning inspiration! He makes me feel that I can achieve anything I want to. I just need to put my mind to it and work hard. The rest will follow.

It is with this in mind that the series of simple write-ups about some of the Great masters in the fortnightly newspaper ‘Colour Canvas’ has been started. The stories about the Master artists touch upon only the ‘Artist’ aspect of their lives. The idea is to capture and convey the essence in a small capsule. A small fortnightly dose of inspiration!

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This article was published in the Indian Art centric fortnightly newspaper Colour Canvas issue of June 16 to 30 2018.