by Gary Powell
There is a problem in having an artist’s perception of life. Seen any nature shows recently in HDTV? Now, this is the real reality TV. Life eats life and here in lies the difficulty. When compared to the pandemic altruistic model taught us through every step of our development, life eating life is generally glossed over despite the T-bone and freshly sharpened steak knife on our plate. It’s no wonder young artists have difficulty adjusting to a life which holds no resonance in reality for them. But, the talented have always been late to dinner… and usually it’s a dinner to which they were never invited in the first place.
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“Faith in one’s self… is the best and safest course.”
~ Michelangelo
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Why the world doesn’t make sense to us or feels unfair or keeps us depressed is not our fault, but it is our problem.
Whether from unconscious repression or seclusion by choice, exclusion from reality effects every aspect of being an artist. Maybe it’s time to bitch-slap ourselves back in the game! Large market production studios and record companies are not in business to interpret life. Art galleries are not in business to interpret life. Even the National Endowment for the Arts does not exist to interpret life.
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“The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we hit it.”
~ Michelangelo
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All are either in business to make money or have money donated. Arts organizations are chartered to raise funds by means of grants, patrons or allocated funds. Do these funds which are raised by their development staff support their stated mission? Certainly, but always remember: it is an expensive undertaking to raise funds, allocate funds or to have funds appropriated! Whether an organization’s funds are donated or earned, both these systems take a heavy toll on artistic expression.
Documenting our humanity is a good cause and as important as anything a human can do.
If you are now thinking the business executive and the freelance artist have nothing in common then look again. Executives live and die by the sword, corporately speaking, and talent is continually asked to step back from what moves and inspires them. If conscious, both have learned to embrace compromise. This integrative vision is the very nature of progress, and at last, adulthood. The irony of capitalism is that mediocrity is beautifully produced for an audience who has never asked for nor demanded much from either life or themselves. Hired into service are focus groups which certainly have their place for researching the development of toys, tooth brushes and underwear. However, focus groups have no business influencing the design of radial tires, the space shuttle, an original painting or a symphony. I’ve never been a proponent of art by committee or competition.
Don’t work for my happiness, my brothers, show me yours… show me your achievement…and the knowledge will give me courage for mine. – Ayn Rand
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“The marble not yet carved can hold the form of every thought the greatest artist has.”
~ Michelangelo
|
So, I suggest we move forward with the resolve for sharing our heartfelt expressions. We can bring much passion and experience to the process of being human through our chosen artistic disciplines. Documenting our humanity is a good cause and as important as anything a human can do. Despite it’s attendant hardships, being an artist is a noble endeavor.
So, while in the midst of being a fully compromised adult, continue to live, search, ask, explore and then whenever you choose to share it, simply let your story influence others or even just yourself. You may accidentally change the world for the better and if nothing else, provide others with the courage to embark on their own adventure. This is altruism by choice and with purpose. And it is good.
|
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
~ Michelangelo
|
All Content of Gary Powell’s Site is Licensed Under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License
.
by Gary Powell
There is a problem in having an artist’s perception of life. Seen any nature shows recently in HDTV? Now, this is the real reality TV. Life eats life and here in lies the difficulty. When compared to the pandemic altruistic model taught us through every step of our development, life eating life is generally glossed over despite the T-bone and freshly sharpened steak knife on our plate. It’s no wonder young artists have difficulty adjusting to a life which holds no resonance in reality for them. But, the talented have always been late to dinner… and usually it’s a dinner to which they were never invited in the first place.
|
“Faith in one’s self… is the best and safest course.”
~ Michelangelo
|
Why the world doesn’t make sense to us or feels unfair or keeps us depressed is not our fault, but it is our problem.
Whether from unconscious repression or seclusion by choice, exclusion from reality effects every aspect of being an artist. Maybe it’s time to bitch-slap ourselves back in the game! Large market production studios and record companies are not in business to interpret life. Art galleries are not in business to interpret life. Even the National Endowment for the Arts does not exist to interpret life.
|
“The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we hit it.”
~ Michelangelo
|
All are either in business to make money or have money donated. Arts organizations are chartered to raise funds by means of grants, patrons or allocated funds. Do these funds which are raised by their development staff support their stated mission? Certainly, but always remember: it is an expensive undertaking to raise funds, allocate funds or to have funds appropriated! Whether an organization’s funds are donated or earned, both these systems take a heavy toll on artistic expression.
Documenting our humanity is a good cause and as important as anything a human can do.
If you are now thinking the business executive and the freelance artist have nothing in common then look again. Executives live and die by the sword, corporately speaking, and talent is continually asked to step back from what moves and inspires them. If conscious, both have learned to embrace compromise. This integrative vision is the very nature of progress, and at last, adulthood. The irony of capitalism is that mediocrity is beautifully produced for an audience who has never asked for nor demanded much from either life or themselves. Hired into service are focus groups which certainly have their place for researching the development of toys, tooth brushes and underwear. However, focus groups have no business influencing the design of radial tires, the space shuttle, an original painting or a symphony. I’ve never been a proponent of art by committee or competition.
Don’t work for my happiness, my brothers, show me yours… show me your achievement…and the knowledge will give me courage for mine. – Ayn Rand
|
“The marble not yet carved can hold the form of every thought the greatest artist has.”
~ Michelangelo
|
So, I suggest we move forward with the resolve for sharing our heartfelt expressions. We can bring much passion and experience to the process of being human through our chosen artistic disciplines. Documenting our humanity is a good cause and as important as anything a human can do. Despite it’s attendant hardships, being an artist is a noble endeavor.
So, while in the midst of being a fully compromised adult, continue to live, search, ask, explore and then whenever you choose to share it, simply let your story influence others or even just yourself. You may accidentally change the world for the better and if nothing else, provide others with the courage to embark on their own adventure. This is altruism by choice and with purpose. And it is good.
|
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
~ Michelangelo
|
All Content of Gary Powell’s Site is Licensed Under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License
.