The Light of Perception:3/22
From the journal March 2022:
The artist's job is to speak truth, yes, truth, sometimes to power, sometimes just to reality. Speak truth, that is the task, the calling, the essence of the artist. What is truth? It is a question, a question that spirals and bends, that twists and turns in the light of perception. The artist holds the mirror, the artist reflects, the artist reveals the layers of existence, the layers of being.
Your job is to speak truth about the world as you see it, as you feel it, as you experience it. Your vision, your perspective, it is unique, it is yours alone. The world is vast, it is complex, it is a cacophony of voices, yet your voice must rise, must echo, must resonate. Speak truth, yes, speak it boldly, speak it fiercely. The artist must not shy away from the weight of responsibility. The artist must not shy away from the uncomfortable, the unsettling, the rawness of reality.
Sometimes to power, yes, sometimes to power. Power can be a beast, a force that demands compliance, that demands silence. But the artist, the artist must not be silenced. The artist must challenge, must confront, must speak out against the tide of oppression, against the chains that bind creativity. Speak truth to power, speak it loud, speak it clear. The artist is a warrior, a sentinel of truth, a beacon in the shadows.
And sometimes just to reality, yes, just to reality. Reality is a tapestry woven with the threads of experience, of joy, of sorrow, of beauty, of pain. The artist's job is to capture that reality, to distill it into form, into sound, into color. It is a dance of perception, a celebration of existence. Reality is not always kind, it does not always shine, and the artist must reflect that, must hold it up for all to see, to confront, to understand.
Your truth, your reality, it matters. It matters in the grand scheme, in the narrative of the world. You must speak it, you must articulate it, you must let it flow from your fingertips, from your voice, from your very essence. For in that truth, there is power, there is clarity, there is connection.
The artist's job is not easy. It is a burden and a blessing. It is a responsibility that weighs heavily, yet it is also a gift that liberates. Speak truth, speak it to power, speak it to reality, speak it to yourself. The world is waiting, listening, aching for the voice that dares to speak, that dares to challenge, that dares to reveal. You are the artist, you are the truth-teller, you are the one who navigates the landscape of existence, and in that navigation, you illuminate the path for others.
So embrace it, embrace the role, embrace the responsibility. Speak truth as you see it, as you feel it, as you know it. For in that truth, the world transforms, the world shifts, and in the act of creation, you become a part of the greater narrative, a part of the unfolding story of humanity. The artist's job is to speak truth, and in that speaking, you find your place, your purpose, your power.
