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Art Asks Questions
Is it really true? Is it really like this?
“People who love literature have at least part of their minds immune from indoctrination. If you read, you can learn to think for yourself.”
. — Doris Lessing
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“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.”
“People who deny the existence of dragons are often eaten by dragons. From within.”
— Ursula Le Guin
Why “practice” the piano? Why paint or write every day? My answer is that we have to remake ourselves every day. Vision and even love must be revived and exercised every day. The finished piece of art may be good, but it’s still necessary to start over again tomorrow. Learning to see is endless. The value of art is that it wakes us up. We have a tendency to live in a state of inattention. We assume all kinds of things that would prove false if we only looked with care.
The artist is a professional seer. Art is not about prowess or technique. All that becomes ego if it takes center stage. Yes, we must know the grammatical rules of our form. That’s basic, but then what is your subject? What revelation do you need to show us that will help us live better?
