The Biggest Smile In The Room

When the artists have become cynical, that's when you know the world is screwed.

The whole point of art is to create worlds. Not just wallow in the limitations of this world, but transcend it. When the artists stop looking forwards, what are the rest of us to do?

It kind of reminds me of those cartoons where the main character (usually a elephant or a talking bicycle or something) draws an invisible square in midair and then that square turns into a portal or a time machine and then the bike escapes to another place or another dimension or something. It's not mere escapism, it's a genuine way out.


When the Artist loses his way, loses the path to a way out, we're all in trouble. If he can't see a way out, how are we expected to? And right now, our artists don't seem focused on a way out. Maybe I can only speak on my own behalf but we've hit a glass ceiling where we complain about the human condition and yearn for a way out or get mad at our math teacher. "I want to get out of here" or "I think I'm dumb" is not quite the combination to the masterlock that keeps us imprisoned...

The Artist can go beyond "describe" and go towards "prescribe." He goes beyond map-reading and becomes the map-making. He doesn't complain about the darkness, he's too busy being the candle-maker. The artist is the biggest optimist in the room. He's the most joyous. He smelts the iron that creates the swords that will kill him some dragons/thieving politicians. The Artist knows something the rest of us do not. Find the biggest weirdo in the room with the biggest smile and ask him what his secret is. Ask him what he knows...