The Groove 196 - Why Summer Should be Your Golden Season
WHY SUMMER SHOULD BE YOUR GOLDEN SEASON
Summer, with its long days and vibrant energy, has often been a season of renewal. Fresh ideas, deep insights and physical, mental and spiritual restoration should be in store for many of you.
These glorious months that smell of sunscreen and salty water, enveloped by heightened colors, natural beauty and a slower pace of life are the perfect backdrop for creative endeavors and professional pursuits. Summer equally invites moments of leisure and reflection, allowing you to rejuvenate and gain fresh perspectives. The balance between diligent work and restorative moments during summer fosters a harmonious state of mind, leading to both personal and professional growth.
For Pablo Picasso, one of the most prolific and influential artists of all time, summers were not just a time of leisure but periods of intense creativity and vital transformation. Here’s a glimpse on how he made it his best season:
Work Hard and Play Hard
Pablo Picasso in Vallauris, France, August 1953, exiting a group show where his work was exhibited alongside artists Fernand Léger and Edouard Pignon. Photo by Andre Villers / Alamy Stock Photo.
To fully capitalize on this season, you must find a rhythm that allows for the germination of new ideas and the completion of tasks, while also dedicating time to unwind and reflect. By integrating periods of focused work with moments of leisure and introspection, you can harness the summer's vibrant energy to enhance creativity, rejuvenate the mind, and gain a fresh perspective on your goals and aspirations.
Picasso was undoubtedly an intense man. He lived through ninety summers and his sojourns during the warm months played a crucial role in the development of his art. Summer provided a fertile ground for experimentation and the birth of groundbreaking works that would leave an indelible mark on the art world and beyond.
In the summer of 1906, Picasso was feeling the weight of becoming a recognized artist in Paris and the pressure to come up with something new and groundbreaking. He embarked upon a trip from Paris to Gósol, a village in the northwest of Catalonia, with his girlfriend Fernande Olivier.
Picasso napped, met new people, mingled with the locals, ate in different cafes and was extremely productive too. In less than three months, he had finished or sketched more than 302 works. But not only that, he returned to his Parisian studio full of vigor and new ideas, including the revelation that with the advent of photography, there was no need for art to imitate art. On the contrary, life would imitate art. Pioneering Cubism during the following months, Picasso finished Les Demoiselles d’Avignon one year later in the summer of 1907. It remains one of the most important and influential paintings in the world and one that changed the course of art history.
In subsequent years, Picasso and Fernande went back to Catalonia: Barcelona in 1909, Cadaqués in 1910. Patrick O’Brien wrote that “Picasso painted hard at Cadaqués; but even for Picasso a holiday was not entirely work.” He and his friends often enjoyed sunbathing, swimming, fishing and playing in boats.
Embracing both hard work and play during the summer is not just a strategy for productivity, but a vital practice for holistic well-being. The summer’s extended daylight and invigorating warmth offers the perfect backdrop for diving deep into ambitious projects and achieving goals. Simultaneously, integrating moments of leisure and exploration into this schedule revitalizes the mind and spirit, providing a well-rounded approach to personal growth.
Try Other Things
Pablo Picasso, Francoise Gilot and Picasso’s nephew in Golfe-Juan, France, August 1948. Photo by Robert Capa.
Whether it’s exploring a different hobby, embarking on an adventure, or diving into a new project, breaking away from the familiar can ignite your creativity and open doors to unexpected joys. This season is the perfect time to experiment and discover passions you might not have known existed, enriching your experiences and expanding your horizons.
In later years, Picasso's summers took place in the South of France, in Cannes and the towns of Antibes and Vallauris. These places became synonymous with prolific output and new endeavors for him. The light and ambiance of the Côte d'Azur invigorated Picasso in more ways than one.
In the summer of 1947, Picasso began working directly with clay using his own hands, something that he had never done before. Françoise Gilot, artist, lover, muse and mother of two of his kids, wrote that: “he decided to do the folds himself. When he did, the most wonderful things began to take shape in his hands…With it Pablo began doing little statuettes of women as delicate as Tanagra.” Between 1947 and 1971, Picasso created 633 distinct ceramic works, leading to more than 4,000 versions and one-of-a-kind pieces derived from these original designs, which in turn led to the production of more than 120,000 editioned works.
For a summer that could truly transform your life, dare yourself to venture into uncharted territory. Try something completely new, whether it's exploring a place you've never visited or diving into an activity that pushes your boundaries. Embracing the unknown can unlock extraordinary opportunities and ignite a journey towards greatness.
Seek Solitude
Pablo Picasso, Mediterranean Landscape, 1952. Oil on wood. Collection of The Albertina Museum, Vienna.
Take advantage of a slower pace, and if possible, away from the daily hustle. The warmth and quiet of summer are ideal for introspection and personal growth, allowing you to reconnect with yourself and gain new perspectives in a peaceful environment.
During his summer holidays, Picasso frequently sought the solitude and sunlight of the south rather than staying in Paris. It was in the south where he often embarked on new creative ventures, refining and elaborating on them upon his returns to Paris.
“Nothing can be done without solitude,” he said to the Greek writer Tériade, “I have to live my work, and that is impossible without solitude.”
While Picasso is often remembered for his dynamic and energetic personality, summers also provided him with moments of reflection and contemplation. The serene settings allowed him to ponder deeply on his work, his life, and his artistic journey. These reflective moments were crucial for his creative process, giving him the space to think critically and make bold artistic decisions.
A mind perpetually caught in chaos and ceaseless stimulation struggles to conceive the most profound solutions or nurture revolutionary ideas. Awareness and aha moments flourish in a space of calm and clarity, where creativity can thrive unfettered by constant distraction.
Seek Community
Pablo Picasso, with his future wife, Jacqueline Roque, and Jean Cocteau at a bullfight. Behind them are Picasso’s children: Paloma, Maya and Claude. Vallauris, France, 1955. Photo by Brian Brake / Alamy Stock Photo
Those prolonged moments of silence and solitude were counterbalanced by Picasso's gregarious summers surrounded by artists, writers, filmmakers and intellectuals. It’s a compelling lesson in the value of collaboration and community. This exchange of ideas and mutual inspiration was crucial to his creative process.
Picasso spent hours having conversations in cafes, on the beach and elsewhere. Visits with other artists like Georges Braque and Juan Gris nurtured his sense of curiosity.
Bullfighting season, which traditionally started in March and ended in October, was not only an enormous source of material for Picasso - with matadors, bulls and minotaurs showing up hundreds of times in his work - but also an opportunity to gather friends, lovers and his own children. They would all form a caravan and drive to Nimes, Aries, or Fréjus to attend the arenas and watch the bloody spectacle. Picasso, forever the Spaniard, wanted to share this hobby that he felt so connected to with the people he loved. The communal aspect of Picasso's summers facilitated an atmosphere where ingenuity flourished.
Seeking community during the summer opens the door to both expressiveness, imagination and joyful experiences. By connecting with friends, fellow creatives, or new acquaintances, you can spark ideas and collaborate on exciting projects. These communal interactions, combined with shared moments of fun and exploration, create lasting memories and enrich the summer experience, blending productivity with pleasure in a vibrant, collective atmosphere.
Summers were more than just a season for Picasso; they were pivotal periods of profound transformation and boundless creativity. From the Catalonian coast to the South of France, the unique qualities of these locales combined with the season's energy fueled Picasso's artistic genius. For both those within the arts and those outside, Picasso's summers offer a powerful example of how the environment and the desire to try something new, coupled with the right balance between solitude and community, can lead to remarkable personal and professional growth.
How are you making the most of your summer?