"The Idea of the Artist" - Thesis Prep post

"Artist" tends to relate to everything, in my mind.  I can't speak for anyone else, but in my life, I notice that it affects who I am, what I do and how I think.  More than anything else, I've always felt that being an artist means having a certain way of looking at the world.  It's unique and conspicuous, but beyond that, I have to admit it's difficult to put into words.  Moreover, it's something I'm still learning about.

I believe that pursuing a life as an artist means a particular appreciation for the visual aspects of everything around me.  It means attention to little things, and an understanding of what these visual cues (large and small) mean.  It means seeing something meaningful and worthwhile, not just in things that are visually beautiful, but in the aesthetics of anything and everything, if I care to take the time to really look at them. 


So far as I'm able to gather after some time reflecting, the ten most important values I defend as an artist are roughly as follows:

1.  things hold meaning-- I'm not the nihilistic type
2.  Honesty and openness, not putting up pretenses
3.  communication between people
4.  our stories and experiences are what make us
5.  emotional connections are significant
6.  apathy means you're dead
7.  censorship is art's natural enemy
8.  never stop striving to improve, ever
9.  art should illicit an active response
10.  never take yourself too seriously-- you should always be able to laugh at yourself, no matter how world-changing you may think your work is.  Stay humble.

I do believe that these values guide my work to a great extent; they are likely the reason why art with a narrative captures my attention more than any other.  Because of these priorities, I strive to create work that engages and connects to people.
So why should anyone care?  Frankly, I'm not sure, and if they don't care, I can understand that.  I can't expect my priorities to be in line with anyone else's.  Aside from which, I'm young and still in school-- I'm not nearly arrogant enough to think that my values are what everyone else should care about as well.  However, if anyone else does see the value in the same things that I do, or catches a glimpse of it and finds it worthwhile or interesting, that would be extremely gratifying as a way of connecting to someone.