Fears= driving forces

I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of bummed out by the way this section of reading ended:

"In our time, the cultural niche for art remains unfilled, while self-expression becomes an end in itself" (77).

Yikes--talk about hitting where it hurts. Although I know this is reality in the way the authors meant it, I'm not sure that I agree 100% with it, and I definitely refuse to accept it. I believe the niche for art and artists has just begun to re-blossom. With the digital age that we live in currently, and the trend of new media art, there is a whole new avenue for art to reside within many cultural layers. For example, artists are using technology to document historical building facades, and the deterioration of the landscapes and icecaps, to share their voices, thoughts and opinions on an international scale through the use of social media and the internet, among many other important things. I feel like no matter what is happening culturally at the time, art will always have a place because society NEEDS art, whether or not everyone chooses to admit that.

Art gives others the ability to share, express, enlighten, speak, connect, etc. These are necessary components for LIVING. We need these opportunities as humans in order to remain humans. The world is increasingly becoming more sterile and people are becoming more numb. There is a failure to recognize the effects we are having on the world that surrounds us as well as a decreasing amount of empathy for others. There is a numbness to actual emotions, and the importance of connecting with others seems to be an archaic thought. Without art, there is a chance that this could continue to increase to the point that we will live in a world without true depth, if this world continues to exist at all. Who would want that? It would be so tragic and terrifying.

I feel like this is why the amount of artists is steadily increasing generation to generation, because those that do feel this, and recognize this need in the world are choosing to step up and speak out. Subconsciously, us creative thinkers feel this drive to follow a path that will allow us to create, and in turn teach others how to continue to feel, and how to reconnect with the earth and others, regardless of whether the career choice as an artist is a financially viable one.

Fears are our driving force as artists--I really liked what the authors said about this. "In the ideal-- that is to say, real-- artist, fears not only continue to exist, they exist side by side with the desires that compliment them, perhaps drive them, certainly feed them" (50). The desire to succeed, for me specifically, (success is being able to share my voice with others through my art) coexists with my fear of failure, and without one, the other would cease to exist. My fears are a necessary component to achieving my goals and succeeding as an artist, they are the driving force for my creativity.