My wife is a scientist working on Alzheimer's Disease, and I am an artist (undiscovered, nobody knows about me). We are constantly amazed at the parallels in our work - the process, the struggle, the doubt, the uncertainty. This alone proves to me the value of art. She just gets a fat paycheck for her efforts. And I couldn't be happier for her.
Things are important in different ways. A dying person might rely on morphine in a hospital to be more comfortable. A dying person might mentally recite the lines of their favorite poem in their last moments for the same reason.
It's so important to recognize the insidious ways we tell ourselves and the world that what we do isn't important. It's the highest example of a mind-fuck that although music, books, and art have completely saved my life, I still have to work hard to convince myself that working on my memoir and continuing to write and perform songs has value. Thank you for fiercely advocating.
I wrote about exactly this yesterday. We need STEM. Yes. But without the Arts we become an empty husk. Who did the world turn to when we locked down only a few years ago? Yes, we turned to nurses, doctors and researchers. But we also turned to artists and performers who wove their magic so we felt less isolated, alone and scared. Most did it without any thought for their bank accounts. Without the magic of creativity the engineers, scientists etc of the world wouldn’t be able to do their jobs either. I feel sorry for Sally Rooney, if this quote is what she firmly believes (maybe they caught her in a bad day). To think that what you do doesn’t add value to someone, somewhere is a bleak existence.
I agree that making art is powerful and important but what you've written here is an assertion. I don't know from reading it why I should think this, and if i didn't already think so I certainly wouldn't have changed my mind. I think art is critical because humans are moved and motivated by storytelling. Art is an act of storytelling that done well can have an incredible power to move people, inspire people, and change hearts and minds. Remember too that it can have a capacity for wrong as well as good - artists carry a huge responsibility. Look at the toppling of statues representing colonialism - these are pieces of art that have legitimised imperialism for centuries. I'd be genuinely interested in your view on the nuance of this. What responsibilities do you think artists have when putting their work into the world?
I cried reading this. I don’t think I was even aware that I still had this niggling doubt that making art was “wrong” in some way because it’s not going to change the world. Thank you Amie.❤️
Not to make everything about motherhood, but I think this lie of “I should be doing something productive” is engrained in every freaking part of our modern culture. For me that was enhanced by motherhood. I should be making art, writing, cleaning, working, making money, staying home with my child, doing more more more.
Are we not all exhausted with this yet?? Why are we so unkind to ourselves. I pray for anyone thinking this that their next thought be: I am doing exactly what is needed for this moment. My ability to do anything is a gift. Hopefully Sally realizes that her ability to write helps others see the possibilities of their own work.
Oh my gosh. Yes I resonate so much with this. I was a stay at home Mum for about 6 years with 3 very small children and the whole time I was so unkind to myself, the constant feeling and beating myself up, that I should be doing more, more, more. It was and is exhausting!
Such a good reminder to stop undervaluing our worth and what we’re doing!
Art is the most undervalued source of inspiration which makes this reality actually understandable to every way of thinking and rationalization. Everyone uses, abuses, and needs art; whether realized or not.
Wow, thank you so much for sharing those thoughts, it’s exactly what I needed to hear. I’m an illustrator and my partner is heavily involved in climate activism. I’m constantly feeling guilty for ‘not doing enough’, especially when I’m surrounded by such incredible selfless humans. Whenever I feel like that again, I’ll think about this… thanks again! ☺️
I have so many thoughts! Going to try and put them into a post of my own but Thankyou for always validating and cheerleading for artists, and I can’t wait to spend my Sunday’s with you 💕💕💕
This really got me this morning. I still struggle with marketing my novels so when sales are low I start thinking that maybe I should be doing something more productive. I’ve spent the last six months not writing, but obsessing about solar geoengineering (spraying the skies to dim the sun with pollutants). Nothing useful has come of it
My wife is a scientist working on Alzheimer's Disease, and I am an artist (undiscovered, nobody knows about me). We are constantly amazed at the parallels in our work - the process, the struggle, the doubt, the uncertainty. This alone proves to me the value of art. She just gets a fat paycheck for her efforts. And I couldn't be happier for her.
This is absolutely beautiful
I’ll quote something I found months ago that resonates:
“Medicine, law, business, engineering,
these are noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
Things are important in different ways. A dying person might rely on morphine in a hospital to be more comfortable. A dying person might mentally recite the lines of their favorite poem in their last moments for the same reason.
Sally needs to hit that mustard-colored button and join the Inspired Collective. Stat.
ESHA GETS IT
It's so important to recognize the insidious ways we tell ourselves and the world that what we do isn't important. It's the highest example of a mind-fuck that although music, books, and art have completely saved my life, I still have to work hard to convince myself that working on my memoir and continuing to write and perform songs has value. Thank you for fiercely advocating.
I wrote about exactly this yesterday. We need STEM. Yes. But without the Arts we become an empty husk. Who did the world turn to when we locked down only a few years ago? Yes, we turned to nurses, doctors and researchers. But we also turned to artists and performers who wove their magic so we felt less isolated, alone and scared. Most did it without any thought for their bank accounts. Without the magic of creativity the engineers, scientists etc of the world wouldn’t be able to do their jobs either. I feel sorry for Sally Rooney, if this quote is what she firmly believes (maybe they caught her in a bad day). To think that what you do doesn’t add value to someone, somewhere is a bleak existence.
I agree that making art is powerful and important but what you've written here is an assertion. I don't know from reading it why I should think this, and if i didn't already think so I certainly wouldn't have changed my mind. I think art is critical because humans are moved and motivated by storytelling. Art is an act of storytelling that done well can have an incredible power to move people, inspire people, and change hearts and minds. Remember too that it can have a capacity for wrong as well as good - artists carry a huge responsibility. Look at the toppling of statues representing colonialism - these are pieces of art that have legitimised imperialism for centuries. I'd be genuinely interested in your view on the nuance of this. What responsibilities do you think artists have when putting their work into the world?
i'm not doing very well lately and i needed to read this. thank you.
I cried reading this. I don’t think I was even aware that I still had this niggling doubt that making art was “wrong” in some way because it’s not going to change the world. Thank you Amie.❤️
Not to make everything about motherhood, but I think this lie of “I should be doing something productive” is engrained in every freaking part of our modern culture. For me that was enhanced by motherhood. I should be making art, writing, cleaning, working, making money, staying home with my child, doing more more more.
Are we not all exhausted with this yet?? Why are we so unkind to ourselves. I pray for anyone thinking this that their next thought be: I am doing exactly what is needed for this moment. My ability to do anything is a gift. Hopefully Sally realizes that her ability to write helps others see the possibilities of their own work.
Rant over (probably).
Oh my gosh. Yes I resonate so much with this. I was a stay at home Mum for about 6 years with 3 very small children and the whole time I was so unkind to myself, the constant feeling and beating myself up, that I should be doing more, more, more. It was and is exhausting!
Such a good reminder to stop undervaluing our worth and what we’re doing!
Art is the most undervalued source of inspiration which makes this reality actually understandable to every way of thinking and rationalization. Everyone uses, abuses, and needs art; whether realized or not.
"But we all have our own way of leaving the world better than we found it." <3
preach. 💗
Wow, thank you so much for sharing those thoughts, it’s exactly what I needed to hear. I’m an illustrator and my partner is heavily involved in climate activism. I’m constantly feeling guilty for ‘not doing enough’, especially when I’m surrounded by such incredible selfless humans. Whenever I feel like that again, I’ll think about this… thanks again! ☺️
As did I Zinia! As did I.
I have so many thoughts! Going to try and put them into a post of my own but Thankyou for always validating and cheerleading for artists, and I can’t wait to spend my Sunday’s with you 💕💕💕
This really got me this morning. I still struggle with marketing my novels so when sales are low I start thinking that maybe I should be doing something more productive. I’ve spent the last six months not writing, but obsessing about solar geoengineering (spraying the skies to dim the sun with pollutants). Nothing useful has come of it