For April I’m memorizing this little poem by Emily Dickinson, which both describes and demonstrates her approach to poetry and art in general. And maybe her approach to her own enigmatic life—indirect, oblique, original with a beguiling slant.

This approach is what the filmmaker Stanley Kubrick explains more explicitly:

“If you really want to communicate something, even if it’s just an emotion or an attitude, let alone an idea, the least effective and least enjoyable way is directly. It only goes in about half an inch. But if you can get people to the point where they have to think a moment what it is you’re getting at, and then discover it … the thrill of discovery goes right through the heart.” –Stanley Kubrick

Right through the heart. Creating the ground for that thrill of discovery to arise requires patience and insight and, yes, a level of artistry that I know I don’t regularly have the discipline to pursue. Slow down. Be gentle, with yourself and with whatever Truth you’re pursuing or revealing. The superb surprise might only ever be seen through a sly, shy, shining slant.