Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, December 21, 1930

The zero hour of the year – quite fittingly a heavy blanket of clouds obscured the sun and sky from the earth – it is twilight at noon – 
I fell to brooding over all my artistic misdeeds of the past eight years – what sins I have committed - Self-satisfaction-

Smugness over a little flurry of material success. Thinking “What will the public think of this picture?”

Using worn out tricks of representation- To what depths have I not fallen – can I get out of the pit unscathed? 

Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, December 21, 1930