The mistery of being Artists
Here’s an interesting exclusive article Roland d’Humières, 56 years old psycho-analyst from Aix en Provence (France) has written for our Weblog.
The mistery of being Artists
Whatever is his/her Art, painting, music, dance, writing, or any other, whatever he or she chooses, this way is for an Artist, the most difficult activity he/she may choose in the life. Lot of people imagine that it’s an easy way to live…What a wrong perception of things!
Art is an unlimited way to express unlimited feelings of ours. Quite simple definition? Ok, let us see further on…
We are born in a civilization that strictly forbid emotions and feelings, since the birth:
Forbidden for a baby to cry, forbidden for preteens to feel, forbidden for teen to express themselves, then, forbidden again for adults to cry, to show feelings , endly forbidden for us to be sincerely what we are, deeply in our soul…
People learn to live without true, sincere, real emotions and feelings….
So, an Artist firstly have to find this famous inspiration. That means he must be able to find, to identify the most deepest feelings in his/her own singular beings, despite that was forbidden in his/her childhood, and remains forbidden already for the rest of the world… Easy? Try it!
Then, secondly, the Artist have to find his/her own way of expression. Here is the biggest difficulty:
As in this country of south-america where it is allowed to be “loco” but inside a real cultural codification, an artist have to find the best way to express himself, inside allowed codifications of the Art. As rules exist for everything, rules do exist for an artist in his /her discipline, as soon as society agree with it. So, to express unlimited feelings, the Artist is forced to use imposed standards! Great!!! Easy, did you say?
Here is the reason why the artist’s life is so painful. Allowed to express feelings, but with limited academic standards! Such circumstances do have a name in Psychiatry: schizophrenic situation. As well, everyone can understand why such genius lifes were so painful. Schizophrenia seems to be a professional illness, then…
When the Artist is rebel to those standards, the last wall to destroy is the misunderstanding of the other. He or she has to confront the other’s look. This “other”, you, me, everyone never learn to accept his own feelings. As well, never learn to express it… And those very others will judge if an artwork is or not a masterpiece? Unbelievable stupidity!
In fact, the art piece will, or will not, wake up our feelings, whether they enter or nor in echo with Author’s one. It fits or not, like a hazard game…. Like chemistry…
Then, the only way for us to understand art pieces, to appreciate it; the only way to help artists get possible through a patient singular work:
To be in a frequent contact with it, to tame our own feelings, and to open our mind to the other.
This has a name too: LOVE
October 14th, 2007 at 2:32 am
Hi — Just got an e-mail link to your site. I was half-expecting spam, but I suppose something in me knew I was wrong. Not much in the way of advertising, a lot in the way of content, and a lot that I could certainly relate to. For example, this blog entry I’m commenting on, I am a schizophrenic (technically Schizoaffective, but this is more advanced form of Schizophrenia) and I definitely benefited reading your description of things around the word in context. As per whether or not (mentioned in another blog entry) I’m an “artist”, well, that depends, yes, i have my own business where i’ve created software, but bleh, boring. There have been many times where I wanted to create actual art, but in the past i’ve always been afraid that it would reveal too much of what goes on in my mind, let people know too much about who I am, so I never let myself practice, much less finish a project. I do own a guitar (bought it a few years ago during a manic spree at costco) and by coincidence just this past week I finally received a book I ordered from Amazon on how to play it, but at this point I haven’t the foggiest notion of how to use it. I think I’m going to sit and make the time to learn. Thank you for being kind enough to ’spam’ me with the link to this site, it’s now in my “short list” of favorite (bookmarked) websites.
Rob
October 15th, 2007 at 2:55 am
Hi! The site seems great…
I am learning to play the piano.
If you like, you can take a look at a demo I am composing here:
http://www.spymac.com/details/?2280779
Thanks a lot!
Marcelo
October 25th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
I think that being an artist has less to do with Mistery but rather a way of life. Not so much rebellion but more expression. Being an artist is a way we see the world, the way we embrace then express those visions through the art that is created.
I think the biggest mistake any artist can make is conform to anything or anyones vision. What you start to conform, that is when you are no longer an artist but yet another disciple of what others call art…
Interesting article and thanks for sharing.
December 7th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article The mistery of being Artists, but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.
December 9th, 2007 at 8:24 am
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