Creativity in Chinese painting is hard to understand. It is easy to understand it as the conception of time collectively, but it is hard to understand it on individual level because it varies so much from one painter to another. We don’t know why this golden vine—creativity—grows such a wide variety of fruits. Is there anything wrong with the conception or our understanding?

　For a while, showing off creativity became a fashion among Chinese painters. By now most of us have forgotten its real meaning. Of course, some painters might be different and they want to show what they feel in their life instead of creativity. Though it is not the painters’ negligence, to be creative can’t become the warm bed for some people’s laziness. To create a new visual style is very different from to show what one feels in his life and there must be difference between self-seeking and self-educating and between little and weak spirit life and large and strong one too. There are rules in Chinese painting theories and painting techniques. We need to study and master those rules and apply them in our paintings to express our feelings. So when we try to create the style of contemporary Chinese paintings, we can’t be against learning from traditional paintings and we can’t copy the western style directly either. A wise painter should be able to appreciate all kinds of arts, whether they are from the east or west, are past or present. He should express his personality in his paintings basing on the culture that he lives in. Otherwise it has no meaning to the society.

　It is hard to be a Chinese painter. The world in his eyes is moving and changing in form, color and quality while the tools he can use are just several brushes, one piece of ink and some pigments. It happens very often that one forgets to express his feelings when he is busy in describing the outer world. Of course it is not a difficult problem for those contemporary Chinese painting masters because they can transcend their thoughts in both object and subject levels. Reading can help you understand things better. We need to focus on reading, calligraphy and painting at the same time. I am not the first one to say “to keep your heart peaceful can make your mind clear” and it is not an excuse for me to forget the reality either. Especially in the busy high-tech time, we need to keep our heart more peaceful. Otherwise, we will get lost and become the slaves of the material world.

　The material world is changing in a stunning speed. If one painter tries to be creative in technique and to cater the rapid changes of the society with his rapid changes of techniques, his painting will be very shallow. I hope that contemporary Chinese painters can understand this and try to edify themselves with culture deeply and to feel the world with their hearts and to apply fine techniques to express their feelings. In this way, their creativities in their paintings are from their heart and their styles and personalities are in the paintings.