I do not separate art from life. Art is not a desperate act of madness or of isolation. The artist is someone who is able to combine their craft with a positive state of mind. Vincent Van Goh was a success in his inspiration -but in living itself -he was a failure. In truth the creative man -must be able to create his life as well -to create relationships. This does not mean I believe in forced socialization -or integration. In the counsellor mentality of the system there is affected such a law. Even so I know that if I am able to be inspired -and yet not relate to others -I have failed in some way. The suffering artist is a myth -a legend of modern times. I believe that Van Goh was one of the greatest expressionists of his age. Still I must say he was neurotic and alienated. In this way he was not creative. In this way he was a figure of pathos and fodder for further legends and outlaw tales. His story is one of the most compelling of lives -all in an effort to connect through his art -rather than in his personal attitude towards others.
Create relationships! Be inclusive in all you do and do not guard your secrets. Extend your artistic awareness into the mundanities of the soul. Do not put up walls -in the process of your life –it is all a performance. The actor never takes off his mask. When you shape and form the subtle light -you are also affecting the conversation of life. This game of speech and argument never stops. The performer is also the experiencer of things. Balance is the ultimate aim of healing and expression. To balance is to alleviate the pain of absolutes. Art is this process -but also the changes of your libido and its correspondences -lead to a revealed truth. The soul stands up in its throne and cries out to the world. To be naked and vulnerable is the state of imagination. To nullify the vanity of hesitation and doubts is the aim of art. To be taken out of yourself is what the craft does. A man like Van Goh is emulated for his expression -and not his context -the way he lived was extreme.
To balance is not to go either way -too far to the left or to the right. The dark night of Van Goh is the fable and the illusion. To create friendships and associates is to face what it is you see in front of you. The artist is a teller of truths and never deviates from this articulation. If you cannot articulate your ideas -they die stillborn in your heart. And yet to listen is the great and important skill -as well as talent. To listen rather than speaking is to fulfill one’s aspirations. If you talk and do not hear -you are not able to hear the music of your spirit. To be an outsider artist -you are said to be uneducated. But life itself is a learning curve -you dismantle and you put together again. To stand tall and tell the truth is not easy -and to show yourself to the crowd is a dangerous undertaking. To risk being the fool -and to never stop dancing -even when you are alone in your room. To dance is to live deeply. To dream is to also dream in the mass -and to create as if you were shaping prayers. It’s always a personal thing -but still you are only realized when others participate in your art – in this way it’s a collaboration.
If there is no divide between fiction and life -than we are always improvising. Our epic struggles are a part of what we are. In the realm of the soul everything that blocks is a little death. If you stop to think -you uproot yourself. To hesitate is to fear consequences. In the outsider ideology -we are said to express madness. But madness is everything that is not realistic or imitative. I do not think of myself as mad -I am a storyteller. I tell the tale of my experiences and I teach others to understand the enigma of reality. The mysteries of the universe are only equalled by the mysteries of the self. In this way no-one will ever uncover the secrets of nature. Still the artistic process in outsider terms or in art at large -is largely a matter of seeking answers to questions. But hopes invariably lead to disappointment. Still its useful to say -that there would be no art without curiosity. If there is a hunger -is it proof that there is something to eat? To want something is far better than to have something. Only artists understand this -it’s all matter of give and take -and also balance.
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