ERIC KIM

Art is the Answer!

A lot of us in life feel disempowered, shitty, and lack the vigor to live.

My simple answer:

Art is the reason to live!

Specifically:

YOUR ability/faculty/opportunity to create art.

My rationale

Saigon, 2016 #cindyproject
Saigon, 2016 #cindyproject

When I say ‘art’ I say this in a very general sense. Artwork can be your writings, photographs, images, drawings, dances, poetry, etc. 

Furthermore, I don’t even think it matters where you make “good” or “bad” art. The most important part is whether you’re enjoying/having fun making you art!

If you’re having fun while making your art, it means you have a perfect synthesis of challenge, ability, and accomplishment.

To me, things in life are only ‘fun’ when they involve challenge and overcoming. To me, easy things are boring. Difficult/hard things are more fun– especially when they are able to achieve!

Artist-philosopher

This is where I find the hybrid between artist-philosopher so interesting:

You need to BOTH be prolific (productive) as an artist, but you must also have the philosophical framework to understand WHY you make your artwork, and the significance you attach to your artwork.

I think all of us as artists should share our artwork. But it isn’t within our power for others to like our artwork.

To me, it is our duty to create artworks which bring us delight, joy, and which are authentic to us. Then to share this artwork. Seems like a very simple formula!

Focus on your artistic production

Thus it seems:

  1. Optimize your life to create more of your own artwork. When in doubt in life, always opt to have more free time, empty space, and the opportunity to create more artwork.
  2. Strive to understand what the ideal/optimal conditions for you to create your own artwork. Then strive to optimize your life to give yourself the optimal environment/lifestyle/conditions to thrive artistically!
  3. Determine what are your ideal artistic tools of creation. Generally speaking, strive to discover tools which you consider 80% ‘good enough’, then just stick with your tools, and keep making artwork!
  4. Share your artwork as widely as you can, but don’t expect anyone else to like your artwork.
  5. If you can inspire 1 other human being (alive) or 1 other human being in the future (after you die); you’ve done your job as a philosopher-artist!

BE BRAZEN! ERIC