Any brave soul who produces art, and to take it one step further, produces art in lieu of taking a regular stable, 9 to 5 job has quite the dilemma. People often judge them, think that they are just trying to avoid the responsibility of having a real job. But such artists not only have to work against that perception, they also have to face that theirs is a HUGE responsibility. Great art has to be raw honesty & the artist needs to dig deep within herself/himself, dig out their soft mushy parts and show them to the world to achieve that. But even more is the responsibility to make sure that their art matters, that it does more than provide catharsis, that it touches people, maybe even helps people. If in doing something you make yourself vulnerable, then you really better hope it’s worth it.
Especially in times of crises, in times of movement, art can be so much more than aesthetics. When the world has become desensitized to images of violence, war, poverty, starvation, death, art is sometimes the only way to make those images visible again. Art, visual art, poetry, music, mixed media all help us to see the same things with fresh eyes. And when society becomes desensitized to injustice, fresh eyes are exactly what we need. Beauty for beauty’s sake is lovely. But beauty that says something is powerful.
When an artist draws from their personal pain and turns scars into art, they are doing something far more than providing entertainment. When an artist speaks out about the unpleasant realities of this world we live in they are doing more than just making “anarchist rants”. They are making what they do matter. They are chipping away at the world’s desensitization and opening our eyes. Because it’s only when we see what is going on that we are willing to do something about it. You can’t solve a problem you don’t recognize as a problem. You can’t understand other’s experiences unless you feel their experiences.
Art has power. Your words, your doodles, your beats, you… whatever you do… has power. Your weaknesses have power, and sometimes you need to make art from a place of power. You matter. Your art matters. Now show the world.
