Back in my early 20s, I found myself working as a security officer in a hospital. Now, let me tell you, for a naturally shy and introspective guy, this job was a real test. Imagine having to be the authority figure, directing people during some of the most stressful moments of their lives. Add to that the fun of subduing violent or inebriated folks, especially on the weekend shifts. We had our fair share of interesting characters, like "HH," who was a sparring partner for Mike Tyson. When the police called to warn us about HH, we knew we were in for a ride. Then there was "Joe," a guy who had done serious time and always kept us on our toes.
One day, a big, friendly guy from California showed up to visit a sick relative. He got to chatting with our team and mentioned he was opening a martial arts school in the area. Naturally, we were intrigued. This was the 90s, mind you, before MMA became all the rage. He introduced us to Jeet Kune Do, the martial art popularized by Bruce Lee. It's also called "The Way of No Way," because it’s all about using what works, without being stuck in a single style.
Now, as an artist, I see a lot of similarities between Jeet Kune Do and my approach to art. I admire a wide range of artists, from the photorealistic Greg Gandy to the bold and expressive Tibor Nagy. It’s easy to get drawn into different styles, especially with a library full of instructional books and DVDs. But here’s the thing: sometimes, following someone else’s path just doesn’t feel right. You end up with a bunch of expensive tools and materials that don’t quite fit your way of working.
So, what do you do in that situation? I really want to know. For me, I’ve embraced a "way of no way" in my art. This means honoring my current state of being and letting my work evolve naturally. Lately, I’ve been having a blast with continuous line drawings—never lifting the pen or pencil until the piece is finished. You can check them out on my YouTube channel @jsanzart.
This "way of no way" approach gives me a sense of freedom, even if it doesn’t make me rich. I’m curious about how you handle this in your own art. Do you use different social media pages for your various styles? Different names? So far, I’ve been saying “To hell with it!” and letting my work speak for itself.
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