From: Vanessa Novaeris (novaeris@hotmail.com)
Date: Fri Jun 21 2002 - 21:10:47 MDT
Spike wrote:
<<Be what you are. And improve yourself every chance you
get. Perpetual progress, self transformation, practical
optimism: these are more than just words, they are a way
of life. We can all win. Lets do it. Spike>>
Thanks so much for this – it’s the best advice I’ve heard in years.
<<Then of course, their advantaged children may eventually revert
back to the disadvantaged, but thats their own fault.>>
I totally agree with this – denying your responsibility to decisions in
your own life is a cop-out. How can you learn from your mistakes without
admitting that you made them in the first place? I don’t know…One of the
obnoxious sayings in the program is “if you focus on the negative, the
negative increases; if you focus on the positive, the positive increases” -
seems pretty simple but I really do think its all about how a person decides
to expend their physical & mental energy (which I think is way more powerful
than most people want to admit). I believe there are always options, even if
they are unpleasant. (& I'll specify “in the US” to be clear & safe)
Samantha wrote:
<< We can design a system where we all win with much
less waste and misery.>>
But I wonder if, in such a system, people will get too easily comfortable
– like maybe its precisely that “misery” that would drive people to push
forward. If everyone is personally happy with where they are at, I kind of
doubt (for the majority) that they will continue to strive & excel – what is
their ultimate goal? I think it will be forgotten the moment people become
complacent with their individual lives. Of course, this could just reflect my
present waning faith in humanity at large, so in that case I'm sorry & that’s
just my problem :P
Olga wrote:
<<Maybe so. But the "professionals" I know who word for a living do NOT call
themselves proles - they think of workers such as the janitors and window
washers "proles" (and I've noticed how, when confronted with a "prole-type
worker," say, in an elevator, the professionals ignore them or move to the
other side of the elevator pronto; talking to the "proles" at an office
party, as you may well surmise, is pretty much out of the question).>>
I don’t think these “professionals” need to worry about how they address the
maintenance workers – their actions say it all! (strongly restraining myself
from using the “F” word) Reading this made me really frustrated & very very
sad. (I think this is where my whole faith-in-humanity problem pops up.) This
is exactly why I hated school & why I dont like to be around people.
Olga wrote on 6/11:
<<I've known and still know some professional
artists - they're as good and as bad as anyone else, and certainly not any
more special than anyone else. I just don't hold art to be "sacred" (the
way I've seen some people fawn over capital-"A" Art). I mentioned Picasso -
because he was an abusive man, I can't really admire him. ….
People, to me, are more important than art – even capital-"A"-type Art. >>
Hmmm… but I see capital “A” Art as something far greater than a product of
its creator. And I think that’s kind of the whole beauty & power of what Art
really is (for me anyhow) – that your personal experience as an audience or
viewer is the focus of importance. There can be no Art without an audience of
some sort. I think that’s what makes it *A*rt – your personal participation
is what makes it so sacred. And when you are engaged in this experience,
(again only my opinion) you are relating directly to that piece of work in &
of itself – *Art* is what allows such work to transcend as a being of its own,
separate from the identity of the artist. How you view a painting or a play
or whatever should have nothing to do with your opinion of the artist – you
can enjoy Guernica & love the Blue Nude & still think Picasso was an asshole.
Anything else is, dare I say, the most vulgar form of prejudice not against
the artist, but against the being of Art itself.
Olga continues:
<<Art is a merely a
technique - some people have more of a bent for it than others.
Art is also a fun pastime - I likened it to play.>>
Grrr! Okay – take a 5 year old who has major problems with focus &
attention. All of a sudden, she discovers art & becomes literally obsessed
– spending 4-6 hours a day drawing. Her schoolwork actually improves, she
becomes more efficient (because getting all the work out of the way leaves
more time to draw). This continues uninterrupted for 10 years, only the time
devoted to art increases to 6-10 hours a day (later bedtime heehee)You can
call it play, but I call it a freakin miracle. Besides, I don't know of many
pastimes that pay as well.
I may have gotten a little carried away, but its that kind of attitude that
made me quit a long time ago. I really regret it now that I’m trying to ease
back into it (the readjustment is sheer hell).I was too worried about what
people would think of me & I couldn’t enjoy it anymore. I felt like I was
stripped of the only thing I ever felt passion for. Art for me was always (&
still is) completely passionate, so its hard for me to discuss it calmly – so
I’m sorry & I’m off my soapbox :P
novaeris
---- This message was posted by Vanessa Novaeris to the Extropians 2002 board on ExI BBS. <http://www.extropy.org/bbs/index.php?board=61;action=display;threadid=52122>
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