Charles Burchfield, Journals, October 21, 1938

Joe Williams, the sports writer, in one of his columns said that as a man grows older, he tends to turn to the mature performance, rather than the youthful no matter how promsing. To the young man this is senility, he added. But I think he is right; I find myself less & less interested in undeveloped art and can only derive stimulation & envjoyment from fully mature expressions.

The long season of having visitors to the studio has made me terrifically bored and self-conscious—self-consciousness is the worst. I feel as tho I had been undressing in public. And indeed, I have been exposing my spiritual self to the vulgar mob.

You must do an abrupt about-face, crawl back into your shell, and stay there; otherwise your outlook and work will become vulgar and common-place.

Charles Burchfield, October 21, 1938