We have all heard of the struggling artist. The person that is painting their pictures and having little commercial success. Ah, but they do it for the art is the story we are told. Some admire these folks for their sheer tenacity, their drive, and determination. Others view them as foolish dreamers or deadbeats. Surely the truth must lie somewhere in the middle. And I'm thinking this must be true for us all, for aren't we all artists in our own ways? The struggle of the artist is the struggle of life. There is a bit of philosophy for you to ponder. The struggle is real. Do we do what we do to please ourselves, or do we attempt to satisfy the crowd? Purpose or popularity? Which produces art?
I think in the beginning it is always purpose. God given talent, that is how we explain our abilities. We have no other explanation to offer. Those abilities are given to us for a purpose, God does nothing by accident. Along with that is the free choice we also enjoy. We can choose to exercise those talents, massage and improve them, or choose to simply exploit them. But how are we to know? Perhaps our purpose is to become famous and attain wealth beyond that of any other man, then shouldn't we peruse that? Would that be an exploitation? You would have to say no, I'm fulfilling my purpose. The question I struggle with is, do I need to know my purpose in order to fulfill it? Presently my thinking is, no, no I don't need to know that, I only need to act in good conscience and my purpose will be fulfilled. Just as that struggling artist may never be recognized in his lifetime, after death his work is revered. Everything in its' time, just as the Bible says. You know that famous passage in Ecclesiastes chapter three. A time to be born and a time to die.
I also believe you can be instructed in certain tasks and talents and gain fulfillment in that fashion. You can be taught to be successful, at least in a commercial sense. The trade can be learned. Still there is that innate ability that can't be learned. They say Bob Dylan sold his soul to the devil, just like Robert Johnson, to gain the fame he so strongly desired. I don't believe any of that, but rather believe they may have abandoned their conscience in their pursuit. That is also not to say they couldn't have regained that conscience, and hence forgiveness. To put it in its' simplest terms, doing what is right. Do we do what is right for us, or do what is right for the majority? Isn't that the crux of the matter? Conscience is the determination of right and wrong. When we act in good conscience that is what we are doing.
It's old advice, act according to your heart. I believe that advice is timeless in its' wisdom. I don't care if it is said in ancient Greek or by a rap artist on the street corner, the advice is sound. “Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.”
― Plato
That was Plato's way of saying that. The struggle of life is what interferes in all of that. The practicality of making a living. Art is a beautiful thing but you can't eat it. Utopia would surely be filled with artists, each doing whatever is their bent whether it be complex mathematical problems or arranging flowers in a vase. We view the successful artists as those that are in demand. The artist desires that when he is alive. That is the distinction being made, the heart of the struggle. Do I paint the portrait, satisfying my benefactor or paint the abstract only I understand? What is the purpose of art? Is it to gain popularity for the artist, or to satisfy some other purpose?
I'm thinking the purpose of art, any art, is to expose the soul. Will others accept that soul as a reflection of their own inner expression? It's a risk an artist must be willing to take. It isn't art until it is exposed to the light of day, to reality. But art is what dreams are made of. A paradox. Do we strive for purpose or pursue popularity?
I think in the beginning it is always purpose. God given talent, that is how we explain our abilities. We have no other explanation to offer. Those abilities are given to us for a purpose, God does nothing by accident. Along with that is the free choice we also enjoy. We can choose to exercise those talents, massage and improve them, or choose to simply exploit them. But how are we to know? Perhaps our purpose is to become famous and attain wealth beyond that of any other man, then shouldn't we peruse that? Would that be an exploitation? You would have to say no, I'm fulfilling my purpose. The question I struggle with is, do I need to know my purpose in order to fulfill it? Presently my thinking is, no, no I don't need to know that, I only need to act in good conscience and my purpose will be fulfilled. Just as that struggling artist may never be recognized in his lifetime, after death his work is revered. Everything in its' time, just as the Bible says. You know that famous passage in Ecclesiastes chapter three. A time to be born and a time to die.
I also believe you can be instructed in certain tasks and talents and gain fulfillment in that fashion. You can be taught to be successful, at least in a commercial sense. The trade can be learned. Still there is that innate ability that can't be learned. They say Bob Dylan sold his soul to the devil, just like Robert Johnson, to gain the fame he so strongly desired. I don't believe any of that, but rather believe they may have abandoned their conscience in their pursuit. That is also not to say they couldn't have regained that conscience, and hence forgiveness. To put it in its' simplest terms, doing what is right. Do we do what is right for us, or do what is right for the majority? Isn't that the crux of the matter? Conscience is the determination of right and wrong. When we act in good conscience that is what we are doing.
It's old advice, act according to your heart. I believe that advice is timeless in its' wisdom. I don't care if it is said in ancient Greek or by a rap artist on the street corner, the advice is sound. “Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.”
― Plato
That was Plato's way of saying that. The struggle of life is what interferes in all of that. The practicality of making a living. Art is a beautiful thing but you can't eat it. Utopia would surely be filled with artists, each doing whatever is their bent whether it be complex mathematical problems or arranging flowers in a vase. We view the successful artists as those that are in demand. The artist desires that when he is alive. That is the distinction being made, the heart of the struggle. Do I paint the portrait, satisfying my benefactor or paint the abstract only I understand? What is the purpose of art? Is it to gain popularity for the artist, or to satisfy some other purpose?
I'm thinking the purpose of art, any art, is to expose the soul. Will others accept that soul as a reflection of their own inner expression? It's a risk an artist must be willing to take. It isn't art until it is exposed to the light of day, to reality. But art is what dreams are made of. A paradox. Do we strive for purpose or pursue popularity?
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