‘What would be my identity through time?’ is a difficult question to answer for anybody. Identity, in itself, is very difficult to describe. Are our identities chosen for us by the society or are they what we wish to make of them? That’s yet another difficult question to address. But I am convinced that as long as our identities are in tune with our true inner nature, they are likely to endure.
Poet, thinker, philosopher and educator Rabindranath Tagore had the deep conviction that his works would conquer time and immortalise him. He had consecrated himself as a devotee and immersed himself deeply in his creative world of art and literature. Great human beings like Tagore, Albert Einstein, Galileo, Copernicus, Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose, Louis Pasteur, Don Bradman, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci and innumerable others have immortalised their identities. Immortality of personal identity is not an individual prerogative. Yet, identity is something we are always deeply aware of in our lives. Our identities shape our interaction with the society and the world at large.
My identity through time is not something for me to say, that only time will reveal. Time is elusive, beyond human grasp and perception. So though we can be sure of today we just can’t be sure of tomorrow, leave aside centuries later. Yet we can try to muster the confidence which Tagore exuded in confirming that centuries down the line, the reader would still peruse his works with equal curiosity.
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Einstein’s works are still relevant in every step of Science. While Bradman is the yardstick of reference for all batting legends of the world, Pele is the role model for all aspiring football stars. All sculptors desire Michelangelo’s craftsmanship, while all artists still cherish the smile of Da Vinci’s Monalisa.
These personalities have immortalised themselves by their devotion and love to their causes of life. Being far too young I can only pray to Lord Almighty that like these illustrious trailblazers, I too can find the spark within me, whatever be the field. As a teenager, I love many things. But whenever I have sat before a canvas to paint, I have spent hours at a stretch without being tired. It is perhaps far too early to say, but irrespective of what my parents and teachers think and wish for me, I would love to see myself as a painter in the long run.
In my long journey through time I can only try; and leave the rest in the hands of the Omnipotent. I would like to carve out my identity not only as a fine artist, but also as a fine human being because I believe without becoming a good human being I can never aspire to be a great artist. As of now, I would like to stop thinking about my identity through time and just concentrate on my passion for painting.