THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

Ryan opened up his box and took out a pencil. His hands started gliding over the canvas as he started to draw. Soon enough a bird started to emerge from his hands like a magic trick onto the canvas. The bird looked so beautiful on the white background. But even from the first glance, anybody could see the eyes, they were a little bit odd. The eyes exuded sorrow. What was earlier looking as a happy picture, was now becoming a tragedy. Ryan, after giving finishing touches to the bird, started drawing a cage all around it. The big cage engulfed the whole wing span of the bird and surely was the reason for the sad eyes. The art itself looked fascinating but a little sad. But Ryan was not done. He took out his paint brush and some blue paint. He started dumping blue crudely through his art. The blue color, traveled from the bird, then even through the cage. It was a mess. It looked like he deliberately wanted to ruin his painting. He stops. The paint still wet started dripping, making trails over the canvas. The sadness about this art was undeniable. He takes a last glance at his art and opens his mouth after a long time, "I am done sir." Every other student in the room looked perplexed, that was fast! They were just starting to carefully paint their art when this guy, has already completed it. "That was quite fast, Ryan why don't you show us?" Ryan twists the canvas, and everyone burst into laughter. So crude, so shabby. It felt like a work done just to get out of the class. "Look at how he paints ……wow I have never seen something so undeniably messy……he just wants to get out of this class…… Good job Ryan ruining your art!" Every student laughed commenting at the picture. Only one person was keeping his eyes locked onto the painting. "SILENCE!" The teacher roars …echoing through the room, making everyone go silent. He looks at Ryan who was packing his things now, not concerned about the laughs, the comments or the roar. He smiles, and asks " Ryan care to give an explanation? Only then the others will see your vision too" The other students got confused. Why is the teacher  smiling? What is that only he can see? How is this drawing even relatable to our topic today? Ryan gives a wide gaze towards everyone, and he starts, "Today's topic was freedom. In this picture the sorrow of the bird to be in the cage is clearly depicted through the eyes of the bird. And the blue color…well… it symbolizes his hopes and desires, to be free. After living his whole life in the cage, his desire of freedom is depicted through the blue color. That's why it travels through him and spreads out of the cage. His hopes, his desires are too strong to be confined in a cage..it represents his hopes to be free. But as time passes his hopes of freedom too is dripping, crying, slowly fading. Because as he grows, he knows he might never get out of here. That's why I named this art, A SAD HOPE." Silence engulfs the room. The other students wouldn't take their eyes off the painting now. The sorrow, the pain, the hope, it all hit them now like a truck. The teacher looks at Ryan who packs his bag and asks his permission to leave. He smiles and nods. He knows… that this guy, Ryan Graham, is a special one. His art speaks a story. Though he is not a perfectionist like others, but the crudeness was the things that escalates his art. "Magnificent" he says as he once again looks at the art.

Few years passed. The big banner unfolds over the art museum's building. ' WORLD LIVE ART COMPETITION AND EXHIBITION ' The banner elegantly drops over the museum. It is going to be the greatest exhibition for art enthusiasts as world renowned artists are going to be here, drawing live for the people. After the competition, these art will be auctioned here only. It's being pitted as the global stage for artists to show their talent and have a night to celebrate art in general. The teacher that used to teach Ryan in the art school is the Head Curator for this worldwide global phenomenon. He is checking the exhibition area when he hears footsteps approaching in a fast, rather tensed stride. "Head curator, we have a rather huge problem!" His secretary hands him the tablet. His eyes widens as he reads the report. One of the famous artist from Brazil, had an accident. His hands messed up. So at this dire hour, he has opted out of the event. "I was thinking how everything was going so smoothly." His hands grazing over his head, forcing it to think harder. Who and how they can confirm another artist to be on this worldwide stage? Live Art is the most treacherous thing for any artist. People might find the art they used to love, inferior to some other artist's work. You might loose your audience. That too in this worldwide scale. Only the best artists, confident of their art were the brave ones who accepted this. And for one of the best artists, to opt out of it in the very end…it might become a huge downfall for the whole event. The Head Curator was already burdened with too much work, and now this. He closed his eyes, and collapsed onto the sofa trying to think. How any artist, at this point, will join the roster without any preparation time against the best artists in the world? It is practically a suicide for the career of the artist. 'Thud Thud!' a sudden sound broke his series of thoughts. He looks at the direction of the sound, only to find a bird sitting at the window, hammering his beak onto the glass. His eyes starts sparkling. Like he has seen an oasis in the desert. The grills of the window, from his perspective made it look like a caged bird. Yes, only he was brave enough to do something crazy and still don't care. "I need to find him fast!"

 

 In a small cottage near Switzerland, Ryan sat on a rocking chair, sleeping, with a book, flat open, over his face. A mellow song surfed around in the room through the speakers. Behind his chair was a wall, covered with his own art. Bizarre, messy but in the same time engaging and deep. His trance broke when his phone started vibrating vigorously. He opened his eyes, to find that the number was not a local one. " Hello Ryan Graham here." He said yawning through half of his name. " It's been a long time Ryan. Remember me?" A familiar voice, comes out of the phone. 

The day is finally here. The art museum looked like a venue for an award show. Celebrities from all over the world, along with CEOs of many conglomerates started striding through the red carpet. Flashes of camera glowed the road to the museum. Art enthusiasts from all over the world came. Eager to see how their favourite artist stands his ground against others. Others came for the auction, ready to spend infinite money to buy the art which touches their hearts. After the guests, it was time for the competing artists to enter. World best artists arrive in their expensive cars, wearing expensive clothes. The hype of this competition provided them with super stardom. Reports gather around each artists. Bombarding them with questions about how they prepared for this event. "Excuse me" Ryan paved his way through the reporters. Not a single one recognized him, as he calmly entered the museum like a ghost, invisible to others. He moves with making a sound to his spot, and starts placing his things. He looks in front, not a single soul was around his spot. "Welcome Ryan!" The voice from the phone echoed in the empty room. Ryan looks up and smiles. At least someone familiar is here. "I guess I'll be your only fan here. Do your best." The Head Curator chuckles. "You can go to the other spots teach …. I mean Mr.Head Curator. I'll be finishing pretty soon after the competition starts." Ryan says with a smile. " Oh I know Ryan… that's why I came here first. Otherwise I would have missed watching you draw again. Give them a good show son." As these words comes out of his mouth, the speaker announces. " The competition commences now!" Ryan's hand starts gliding over the canvas. And within few minutes, he glances over to the Curator with a smile on his face. "I am done Sir" He starts packing as the astonished Curator comes over to the stage and turns his canvas towards him. His eyes become wide and a big smile emerges on his face." You surely are something else Ryan." He pats him on his back as he picks up his bag. "This will make this competition even more interesting." He laughs as he keeps looking at the art.

The Head Curator goes to the stage. "And now my fellow art enthusiasts, the moment has come to reveal the completed arts to you all and the world. A total of 25 masterpieces were created right in front of you guys. Now every artist will receive 15 minutes to showcase their art to the world. To project the vision with which they made this art for our topic of today. LIFE. Then we will proceed to the Auction." A thunderous roar of claps welcomed the artists along with their art. One after another, the art were beautiful, elegant, depicting life in various levels. The time flies and finally its Ryan's turn. Ryan comes out with his canvas onto the stage. Suddenly! the whole crowd went silent. The name in front of them, 'Ryan Graham' was never heard off. And as he turned his canvas……The whole crowd, along with the competing artists burst into laughter. "Is this some kind of joke?.....Oh my god, the audacity of this man to present this in-front of the best artists in the world…..who is he by the way. Isn't only the best artists were allowed here?......I heard he is the replacement for Pablo, the Brazilian genius. What a waste……..Get off the stage!" The whole arena was raging. Because in-front of the whole arena, above the stage, was a man holding a canvas, with only a circle drawn. Which was also redrawn multiple times many intersecting lines. Ryan didn't used any eraser to draw the art, he just kept redrawing over the mistakes until he got the perfect curve. Only Ryan and the Curator were smiling, as Ryan moved towards the mic. "My time to explain has already started so please…give your feedback after my explanation." The curator chuckles, "He haven't changed a bit." Ryan takes a deep breath, as the crowd settles, and starts " Our topic for today was Life. So according to me, this circle describes the life better than any other thing. For you, the redrawn lines must be a shabby mess. For me, they are like the mistakes. Mistakes we all make in our life, that guides us to the right path. The endless mistakes we keep on doing just to find the right choice. Some mistakes we can bend and continue with our life, but some mistakes take us to a dead end. But we don't stop, we don't erase our mistakes, we learn from them. Perfection is not life. Perfection makes life meaningless, dull. It's the mistakes which mold our lives. So this art embraces the mistakes I made to form this circle, just like we should embrace our mistakes in life. This circle shows how our life starts and ends into the same dust from which we are born. Perfection might be pretty, but only the messy touches the heart, as we as humans are messy . Where we admire perfection, we relate with the messy. So, that's why… I named this piece of art …… THE CIRCLE OF LIFE." The whole museum is in pin drop silence. Even the cameras have stopped clicking for the moment. A sudden clap breaks the silence as the Head Curator stands up from his place and starts clapping. One after the another, every person in the arena starts standing up and clapping. The very guy, who was being loathed just minutes ago, was now being showered with praises. Even the other artists admire his view and claps for him. Ryan bows, and accepts the applause. The Head Curator looks at him and starts laughing while still clapping. "Magnificent" he says as he looks at the prize winning art of the competition.