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The paradox of magnum opus - jade

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Cultivating a life of great work

Photo by Helmut Newton, Château d’Aunoy, 1978 Recently I came across the idea of magnum opus, which represents the greatest creative work of someone’s life. The phrase kept repeating itself in my head. I liked how grand it sounded. I imagine if it were to be written down, only a quill and loopy cursive would do it justice. Initially I thought I would try to write about about how a magnum opus is created. I looked to some of my favorite artists for inspiration: Joan Didion, Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Debussy, Christopher Nolan. As I read about their lives, I realized I had it backwards. The…

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