(If you don’t like reading or can’t be bothered to take the time to read all the words, this is probably not for you. There are a lot of ideas being expressed here, and it requires effort to read and understand the material. But unless you read it (not skim it, actually read it) you may never truly understand what this is all about. I sincerely hope you take the time.)
Not a call to arms…a call to action. This is the start of a movement – I hope. One day, a worldwide movement – I hope. This is a call to the artists. The ones who see the world differently. The ones who observe the world around them and see the pain and the love, the beauty and the destruction, the lies and hate, and the compassion and possibility. The ones who see the greed and the anger, and the ones who see the potential and the humanity. The artists. Regardless of the medium, they reflect what they see in their art. They are both mirror and spotlight. They make us feel, and they remind us of our shortcomings. They celebrate our victories, and they shine a light on our failings. They show us not only who we really are, but who we could be. If only we would try.
Artists of all stripes have always been the voice of humanity. Sculptors and painters and writers and bards all have played the part of the prophet and philosopher. They look at the universe through the lens of love, compassion, common sense, and empathy. They are often criticized for being weak and soft. Of not being realistic or of being foolish or childish. I argue the exact opposite. The artist sees the world the way it should be. Could be.
Should be.
Creativity. Plain and simple. Artists, no matter how they express themselves, are naturally creative people. They think about problems differently. They approach the world by looking at it critically, in unconventional ways, and show us things we didn’t consider. That is the nature of creating art.
The most clear example I can think of is science fiction. When done well, it is a blend of reality, fantasy, humanity, and wishful thinking. It very often portrays characters who, despite wondrous technological gadgetry, must overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, on a sometimes-galactic scale, using innovation and clever adaptations of the otherwise ordinary. Many science fiction writers try to show us the shortsightedness of hubris, the amazing possibilities that await us, and also how human we still must be.
What you are reading is a beginning to an evolving work. It is not intended to be a final draft or a complete rendering. The intention is to attract and inspire others who wish to take part in and contribute to this movement. This will only work if others participate and lend their voices.
Although I’m not very prolific, I am still an artist. My suspicion is that the vast majority of the world’s artists are like me: suffering desperately from what they see yet having little time to express themselves with their art. I am devastated daily by what we humans do to ourselves and the world we live in. I often find it a soul-crushing existence bearing witness to the relentless agony of others. Of literally billions. But I feel (know) that I am not alone, and I am using what I know to reach out. I’m reaching out to those who in their hearts also know they must not be alone. Reaching out to the visionaries and the imaginative. To anyone and everyone who believes that we are capable of so much more. So much better. So much love.
But I come to you empty-handed. I have no solutions. No answers to big questions. I’m not that smart. No one is. Though many make claims, there has never (ever) been a person who alone can solve the things I’ll (we’ll) be talking about here. That person, if they existed, would be a god, and I don’t believe in those. This is, and very much needs to be, a group project. It’s up to us, together, to figure things out. We have a lot of creative thinking to do but as with any great art, collaboration will be the key to our success. The most wondrous things ever invented were created when people worked together towards a common goal. The most inspiring musical score or the most moving painting, even when created by an individual, drew inspiration from the works of others. We need each other. And we need to stop looking in the wrong places, and to the wrong people, for the answers. It is the artists who will save the world. Not politicians. Not religion. Not corporations. Not money. Artists. I know this for one simple reason. Art is what sets us apart.*
Good question. I will preface this by stating clearly that I am not a scientist. I put a lot of faith in science for reasons I’ll elaborate on some other time, but my understanding of most of it is probably the same as most people – basic. That being said, in my rudimentary musings about what sets humans apart from the other species with which we share this globe, art is one of the defining traits (the defining trait?) that is uniquely human. The ability to create and the desire to experience art is something that no other animal that I’m aware of has.
I’ll pause for a moment while some of you start Googling elephants who paint or monkeys who play music. I stand firm. Those, while arguably adorable, are not the same as what humans do. We create because we understand and wish to propagate beauty. We want to capture what we see or feel and share it with others. We have the uncanny ability to transcribe the world around us in a virtually limitless number of ways and then use it to try to understand ourselves better.
Even when animals appear to enjoy or appreciate art in some form, I think their ability to use that experience as a means to evaluate or improve upon their world just isn’t there. We are anthropomorphizing when we argue the opposite. Humans are unique on this planet. And while there may be a limited number of other examples of uniquely human traits, I again argue that even those could be attributed to forms of creativity or art. Art is what sets us apart.