Letters

Sol LeWitt to Eva Hesse

April 14, 1965 · New York

Sol LeWitt

To Eva Hesse · April 14, 1965

Dear Eva,

It will be almost a month since you wrote to me and you have possibly forgotten your state of mind (I doubt it though). You seem the same as always, and being you, hate every minute of it. Don’t! Learn to say “Fuck You” to the world once in a while. You have every right to.

Stop thinking, worrying, looking over your shoulder, wondering, doubting, fearing, hurting, hoping for some easy way out, struggling, grasping, confusing, itching, scratching, mumbling, bumbling, grumbling, humbling, stumbling, numbling, rumbling, gambling, tumbling, scumbling, scrambling, hitching, hatching, bitching, moaning, groaning, honing, boning, horse-shitting, hair-splitting, nit-picking, piss-trickling, nose-sticking, ass-gouging, finger-pointing, alleyway-snipping, long waiting, small stepping, evil-eyeing, back-scratching, searching, perching, besmirching, grinding, grinding, grinding away at yourself.

Stop it and just DO.

From your description, and from what I know of your previous work and your personality, I am sure your new work is very good. Try to do some BAD work — the worst you can think of and see what happens but mainly relax and let everything go to hell — you are not responsible for the world — you are only responsible for your work — so DO IT. And don’t think that your work has to conform to any preconceived form, idea or flavor. It can be anything you want it to be.

Historical Context

This letter was written by Sol LeWitt, the American conceptual artist, to his friend Eva Hesse, a sculptor who was struggling with self-doubt while living in Germany. The letter has become one of the most famous pieces of advice ever written by one artist to another.

Curator’s Note

This letter changed everything for me. Read it when you’re stuck. Read it when you’re afraid. Read it when you’ve forgotten why you started. Sol LeWitt didn’t write this for the internet. He wrote it for one person, in one moment. And yet it speaks to anyone who has ever been paralyzed by the gap between what they want to make and what they think they’re capable of.