I have been observing Mucha for several days.
He has been working tirelessly, barely sleeping three hours a day.
It's said that Europeans work all year for the Christmas week, spending the last week of the year resting, traveling, or exchanging gifts with seldom-seen relatives. But Mucha is different.
'Have I ever lived my life so hard that I would have no regrets?'
Life is a series of coincidences and opportunities. One must prepare a foundation to seize whatever opportunity may come, a story even a middle school student knows. But how many actually live that way?
Nowadays, trends have shifted, and more people say it's okay not to live too hard. It's a way to comfort our tired lives and enjoy the present. However, the more I make these small but happy choices, the deeper my emptiness grows.
A life where I can enjoy little happiness, even at the cost of a little earnings, is more appealing. It's a sweet temptation. A life focused on immediate happiness, forsaking the need for great effort and sacrifice for future value, seems happier.
Watching Mucha engrossed in his work in the empty print shop without a word, a thought crossed my mind: humans seek reasons for their pain because it's unbearable otherwise. What does he think is the reason for his pain?
My lethargy also began from there.
Immediate happiness can comfort pain but can't explain it.
The happiness that can be obtained right now doesn't require much effort.
It's a happiness that doesn't need the effort and endurance required for a future filled with happiness.
But we constantly face problems throughout our lives.
Perhaps the most common problem is money.
Am I happy just earning this salary? Sure, for now.
But if I or a family member falls ill and needs a significant sum, I'll be helpless. If I delay treatment due to financial issues, the illness will worsen next year, starting a vicious cycle of poverty.
While the poster was being completed, I observed him more than the legendary poster-making process.
Yes, he's different from me.
Is it just that we live differently? No, that's wrong.
I've lived a life with purpose but no goals. But the person before me is the opposite.
A life running towards a goal. That's the difference between him and me.
If there's a life goal, the harsh reality can be explained.
Pain and trials become obstacles to overcome for achieving the goal.
I thought I had lived diligently.
I earned my living by drawing portraits in Ikseon-dong and returned to my underground single room to paint late into the night. To others, it might have seemed diligent. But while working, all I thought was 'I want to finish quickly and rest.'
Unknowingly, I had made rest the purpose of my life.
Lost in self-reflection while watching him work diligently, the days and nights passed. Finally, Mucha stretches after rising from his seat. He had been sleeping at his desk for days.
It wasn't a brief nap.
He would collapse on the desk, sleep for about an hour, startle awake, and resume working. Holding two large paintings, he smiled broadly.
I crossed my arms and nodded as I watched him.
'1880s theater posters were predominantly horizontal rectangles. This person changed that.'
His poster was over two meters tall, an unfamiliar sight for people back then. Mucha stood in front of the printing machine, pondering.
"Can I print this?"
The machines in the print shop weren't set up to print such tall posters.
After thinking, Mucha printed the two paintings separately and joined them. He printed two hundred posters, rolling them neatly and checking the time.
"He won't be asleep yet, right?"
Thinking of heading to the Renaissance Theater.
I glanced at the calendar.
'Monday, December 31, 1894.'
He kept his promise with Mikael.
I hurriedly followed Mucha, who was heading to the theater. He ran into the theater first, and I followed him in a little later. I foresaw the situation that would soon unfold inside.
'At that time, Sara's manager Mikael was furious when he saw the finished poster.'
The ease of knowing the future. I opened the theater door a little late and walked into the audience.
Sure enough, Mikael, who was sitting in the front row of the audience, was furious at the finished poster.
"No! Hey! What the hell is this horrible picture! Who's going to look at this long poster! Don't you even know the basics that a play poster should catch people's attention?"
Mucha listened to Mikael's sarcasm and stopped.
"I'll show it to the actress, and if you don't want to use it, I won't take the money."
"Is it an answer if you don't take the money! I asked for the work to at least have hope! If I had known beforehand that you would bring such a trashy picture after wasting time, I would never have hoped for you! Go away! I don't even want to see you."
Mucha turned around without a word and left the theater.
I looked at him walking away with a slightly drooping shoulder and a disappointed expression, and smiled.