This post is part of an ongoing series, or writing experiment. I’ve challenged myself to post at least five hundred words a day on here, indefinitely. Some days I write the post that same day, some days I use something pre-written. I started with the idea of each day’s topic continuing from the previous day, although that ended up not always being the case. A lot of times it is the case though, so if you read this post and are feeling a bit lost, check out the previous day’s post to get up to speed. If you want to follow me on this continuous train of thought, feel free to follow my blog! I appreciate you reading.
Yesterday I wrote about the joy of reading, and more specifically, about the joy of reading something from the distant past, for example, and finding an idea that has previously crossed your own mind. I wrote about the wholesome feeling of mutual human understanding that comes along with such an event, that of knowing that someone long ago, who lived in very different conditions from myself and most likely spoke a completely different language and was used to an entirely different way of life, has contemplated the same ideas as I have while contemplating life and the world. It reminds me that life truly is, in a deep sense, beyond all external appearances and circumstances, the same for us all. We are all humanity, and the questions that make up our existence are the mysteries that have forever, and will forever, continue to unite us. An artist is simply a person who has decided to express these eternal questions externally, not in order to attempt to provide answers for them, but in order to bring people’s attention to certain aspects of this amazing mystery that is life on our planet, and to share them with the world, as seen from a unique individual’s perspective. The perspective is unique, but the thoughts and emotions arise from the same humanity. All of our perspectives are equally unique, but we don’t all express them to the world, for one reason or another. This is why we love art, and why the people who can best convey in their art what the majority of the population are feeling and can relate to, are recognized for their talent and globally celebrated as the greats. It’s because we all recognize this human desire for understanding, and this constant adventure of living and learning, of feeling overwhelmed and needing some form of outlet, whether in the form of art, or literature, or through philosophical ideas, or through a delicate balance of thinking and doing, of learning and overcoming. So, as I was saying, this type of experience while reading or anything else also reminds me that the greats at any field were also regular people just like you and I, and that we can do just what they did and maybe even much more. It all comes down to our dedication and perseverance, because often times we are the only ones that impose limitations on ourselves. Now, just because an artist is nothing but a regular person who decided to live in a certain way and to share a part of themselves with the world, that doesn’t diminish the status of the artist in the least. While it is something anyone can be, even a child of barely a few years, that doesn’t change the fact that being an artist is a great responsibility, and that art should always be approached with great care and respect. The fact is that an artist truly becomes a creator, in the literal sense of the word. The artist holds the same responsibility, at least for the moment, as a creator, since he or she holds the power to give life to something real, something that can last forever and make real change in this life and on our planet. As artists, we are giving life to images in the audience’s minds, as well as emotions in their hearts, and hopefully we can even move their spirits. All this influence then leads to real effects out in the world. Art imitates life, and life then imitates art.
We’ll continue this train of thought tomorrow! I appreciate you reading.
rebel eye 