Eating Yellow Paint | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Eating Yellow Paint

Vincent Van Gough and the Search for Happiness

51
Eating Yellow Paint
Vincent Van Gough Self Portrait

Like most people, I grew up hearing stories of the mad artist, Vincent Van Gough. Tales of his severed ear and lonely life were told like they were twisted fairy tales. Van Gough was the misunderstood knight fighting off the shadows, armed with nothing but a paintbrush and yellow paint. But his story wasn’t a fairytale, and he wasn’t a knight; he was just a man. A man who wanted to be loved, understood and bring happiness to himself and the world through his art.

What is so striking about the story of Van Gough is despite having to deal with harsh rejection, death, unpopularity and extreme mental illness, he still sought to find the beauty in life. In fact, the very things that plagued him fueled him to create and show the beauty that could still be found in the world. With each exaggerated stroke, he was trying to capture the vitality of the world around him that couldn’t be portrayed in a more literal sense. This staccato style became one of the hallmarks for impressionism. He was able to peer past the disillusionment and tap into the energy and movement of the world around him. Just like himself, his paintings depicted a dichotomy of emotions. Pain, yet relief, sorrow, yet joy. Unfortunately, this only stalled the darkness and couldn’t stop it from consuming him. His art therapy soon became very literal.

It is speculated that yellow was Van Gough's favorite color. He used yellow for paintings like:

"Wheatfeild with Crows"

and "Starry Night."

Yellow represents happiness and light, so it makes sense why Van Gough was so infatuated with it. Unfortunately, as much as he painted with it, he wasn’t quite able to achieve these things. So in a desperate attempt to make him happy, he set his sights on a new canvas--his own body. He consumed yellow paint hoping to line his insides with happiness. He too wanted to be a masterpiece glowing with light.

This story has always stuck with me, and it got me thinking: What is our yellow paint? Even if we don’t suffer to the extent Van Gough did, we all have problems we attempt to fix with empty solutions. “I will be happy when I have more friends.” “I will be happy when this girl/guy likes me.” “I will be happy when I get the job.” The list goes on and on. There are so many things that we think will make us happy, but like yellow paint, they aren’t “fixing” us.

I believe one of the biggest reasons Van Gough is regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time isn't for his innovative style, but his resilient spirit and how it continues to inspire us. Somehow, despite all the pain and suffering, he was able to capture the joy and intensity of life and the world around him; his work reminds us that in darkness there is still light. So let's silence those lies telling us we need "xyz" to be happy and seek to find that light like Van Gough once did.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Rhyme Without Reason Greek Life Function Ideas

When you have no ideas for what to wear to this date function

315162
A dog and a frog
Healthy Pets

I am going to a rhyme without reason date function and I have looked at so many different rhyming words and I figured there need to be a new list of words. At these functions, there are usually at least two rockers and boxers and an umpteenth amount of dogs and frogs. I have come up with a list of creative and unique ideas for these functions.

If you like what you see, get a shopping cart going with these costumes.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Yoga love

A long over due thank you note to my greatest passion.

28227
A person in a yoga pose surrounded by a supportive community of fellow yogis with a look of peace and gratitude on their face the image should convey the sense of strength mindfulness and appreciation that the writer feels towards yoga
StableDiffusion

Dearest Yoga,

You deserve a great thank you.

Keep Reading...Show less
Arts Entertainment

Epic Creation Myths: Norse Origins Unveiled

What happened in the beginning, and how the heavens were set in motion.

9071
The Norse Creation Myth

Now, I have the everlasting joy of explaining the Norse creation myth. To be honest, it can be a bit kooky, so talking about it is always fun. The entire cosmos is included in this creation myth, not just the earth but the sun and the moon as well. This will be a short retelling, a summary of the creation myth, somewhat like I did with Hermod's ride to Hel.

Keep Reading...Show less
Old school ghetto blaster sat on the floor
8tracks radio

We all scroll through the radio stations in the car every once in a while, whether its because we lost signal to our favorite one or we are just bored with the same ol' songs every day. You know when you're going through and you hear a song where you're just like "I forgot this existed!" and before you know it, you're singing every word? Yeah, me too. Like, 95% of the time. If you're like me and LOVE some good throwback music, here's a list of songs from every genre that have gotten lost in time, but never truly forgotten.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

27 Hidden Joys

Appreciation for some of life's most discredited pleasures.

38267
Best Things in Life

Life is full of many wonderful pleasures that many of us, like myself, often forget about. And it's important to recognize that even on bad days, good things still happen. Focusing on these positive aspects of our day-to-day lives can really change a person's perspective. So in thinking about the little things that make so many of us happy, I've here's a list of some of the best things that often go unrecognized and deserve more appreciation:

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments