less is more
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: quakers, twitter, art, simplicity
Date: 08 May 2009 10:46:31
The artist Jenny Holzer is well known for her compelling work focused on setting ideas and aphorisms in public space. She'll carve odd, beautiful, memorable sentences into granite, project them hundreds of feet high across well-known landmarks, or send them twirling in endless neon down gallery walls. Recently as I've become more engaged with Quakerism I have been intrigued by the drive towards simplicity in everything. I've been following Holzer on Twitter, particularly suited to her work, and one of her aphorisms has stayed with me.
It's so important to know whether or not things need saying. I'm trying to think of any situation where MORE of my words are needed. There aren't any. This is why I like Twitter, why I like the brevity and simplicity which are expected of one who stands to minister in a Quaker meeting - why I like talking to children. It should be possible to say almost anything simply, and if we say too much, we only distract.