A True Artist

A True Artist

I see that a true Artist is honest to his heart; he expresses himself honestly from within.  He is not aiming for the approval of others, he is self-expressive.  When you aim to satisfy the masses, you may gain popularity, but that does not make you an Artist.  If you produce what others want you to produce, you are not an Artist, you are more of a machine, it is like working at a factory.  You create according to what the masses wish for you to create. 

Working at a McDonald’s and producing hamburgers according to the corporate recipe, does not make you an Artist, you are a factory worker, you are like a machine, what you want to change, what you want to create and add or take away is disallowed.  This is not creativity. 

If you cook at home, if you create your own recipe, if you experiment with different ingredients and create something that is unique to yourself and an expression of your creativity from within, this is Art.  Your cooking will never be mass-produced like McDonald’s but that does not mean it is low quality.  Nobody may know of your creativity, nobody may have tasted your food except for you and your family, but it does not mean it is low quality.  It is true creativity. 

The masses may not approve.  The masses are addicted to false food, the masses are addicted to trash food, the masses will not approve of your creativity, but it does not mean it is low quality.  You may never be able to profit from you creativity the way McDonald’s has profited, but it does not mean it is of low quality. 

If the masses are unintelligent then what will be considered popular will be unintelligent content.  If the masses are obese then the McDonald’s Martial Art school owners will become rich by devising a curriculum that will certify obese students to be considered so-called advanced Martial Artists. 

As an Artist, if you judge your success as an Artist based upon your rate of approval from the masses, you are not a true Artist, you are a conformer, you are a puppet, you are a machine, you are something else, you are not an Artist.  An Artist is someone that is completely original, who has no fear to be himself.  An Artist is someone who has the courage to stand against the masses.  An Artist is like a Jesus, a Socrates, a Buddha, a Osho, a Lao-tzu.  An Artist is someone who will likely be laughed at by the masses.  If the masses did not laugh at the Artist, the Artist is not truly an Artist.  This is a saying in the Tao.  The Tao would not be the Tao if it was not laughed at by the masses. 

The masses do not know the Way.  It is impossible for the masses to know the Way.  The Way is an individual journey, an individual discovery, an individual awakening.  A true Artist can never be mass produced.  You cannot become an Artist simply by just joining a group or becoming a member of some organization. 

True love is hidden, true Art is hidden.  Lust is everywhere, the exploitation of sex is everywhere, love is not so easily found.  Propaganda is everywhere, media used as a way of mind control is everywhere, true Art is not easily found, true Art is hidden. 

Criminals are everywhere, corrupted police are everywhere, but where are the armed citizens who are neither criminals nor the corrupted Police?  The Real Martial Artists in this world are hidden, they are not found in combat sport, they are rarely found in mass media, they are hidden within society.