Earnestness in Learning

From the Tarot de St. Croix, the Page of Pentacles; from the Archetype Cards, the Judge:

To be an artist it is necessary to live with our eyes wide open, to breath in the colors of mountain and sky, to know the sound of leaves rustling, the smell of snow, the texture of bark. To be an artist is to notice every beautiful and tragic thing, to cry freely, to collect experience and shape it into forms that others can share. ― Jan Phillips

          This young man, full of enthusiasm for learning photography, finds everything worthy of being photographed. (Thankfully with digital cameras, this no longer costs a fortune.) But how long will his zeal to study and practice continue? I remember years ago when I wanted to start my own blog, I was encouraged to do so by my friend Sharyn. She told me, "The hard thing is not starting, it's when you have to write a fresh perspective on the same card over and over." This Page represents 'beginner's mind,' an attitude of openness and a lack of preconceptions. It is the ability to embrace experience anew, as a beginner, no matter the level of skill or knowledge. Judge, in its healthy form, helps me discern and assess from a place of objectivity. For any artist or crafts-person, it is hard for the Judge's flip side - the Inner Critic - not to appear. One way to spot and override this critic is to write down statements as if delivering them to someone else. Would I actually say this to someone else if it were their work? If there is no compassion in sight, it's the Inner Critic not the Judge doing the talking.