When you have begun the search for the truth, you are already an ascetic. The level of asceticism you will develop is dependent on the depth of your search. We can understand the truth as both the acquisition of the Holy Spirit and the entrance into the divine kingdom. For the ascetic, the truth is further made manifest as the figure of Christ the Savior
How do we desire God? By the effort we make within ourselves. Strive to find the kingdom within and find absolute peace within the action of painting "writing" icons, for without this desire, our work would cease to have meaning.