A person once said that any artwork is a series of lies that leads to a greater truth. The beauty of the aforementioned saying is in the fact that it is indeed true. Superlative art is always a vehicle that leads the individual to a higher plane than the one he inhabits. What this necessarily means that an art form inspires an individual to reach within himself and find a greater truth. It catapults the individual into an ecstatic stupor as it gives him a glimpse of true divinity thorugh itself. Or does it? In the recent times, we see that art is mostle reduced as a way to entertain oneself. Artist consider themselves to be mere entertainers. In reality, though, there is a big difference between an artist and an entertainer. Though many in today’s day and age fail to cognize the difference, it still remains an irrefutable fact that an artist is far above a mere entertainer in terms of divine association.
To elucidate that thought clearly, I would first have to shed light on the subtle differences that exist between an artist and an entertainer. An artist is necessarily one who worships an art-form; one who uses it as a means to achieve a greater purpose. Contrary to that an entertainer has but one agenda on his mind; to get a positive reaction from the audience. To achieve that, the entertainer usually does only that which please the audience, irrespective of the fact that it may indeed be indescribably stupid. The audience on their part are mostly comprised of individuals who are deluded themselves. Hence the art-form that an entertainer employs does nothing but evoke a reaction from a group of utterly befuddled individuals. Thus the fact of the matter remains that neither is the entertainer able to make a lasting positive impact on the lives of the audience; nor is the audience able to derive some substance through the mindless antics of the entertainer.
I have always believed in my self-written edict that Art serves its purpose in Enlightenment. The true artist has the capability to beautifully manipulate and employ any art-form to serve this benevolent purpose. He uses varied means to ensure that his art-form is not only entertaining but massively enlightening at the same time. Thus owing to these efforts he ends up creating something that is genuinely outstanding and worthy of immense accolades. He ends up creating something that proves to be worth the pain and sacrifice that he has to endure in the process of creation.
The real point of the matter is that any creatiive achievement is the result of great pain and sacrifice. It is only when an artist bleeds through his heart, that he can truly create something that leaves an indelible mark on the psyche of the audience. Thus any artist, when he creates something that is truly inspiring and enlightening at the same time, in a way does a great philanthropic service to human kind. In every way, that benevolent act makes all his pain and all his sacrifices seem worthwhile.
Ultimatley it is a personal choice for every artist to choose enlightenment over mindless entertainment. Some prefer the latter owing to the fact that it is a much easier thing to accomplish. Inducing enlightenment in others requires the art-form to have great power within itself. It takes a great amount of effort and intuitive cognizance coupled with unmatched skill and tenacity to weave a creation that can ignite the spark of realization in another individual.
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There are points in our life that are simply exhilirating beyond the scope of expression. There are times in our life when we are so full fof joy that every single breath we take is filled with happiness and unending mirth. Ultimately these are the moments for which we live through our lives. The moments in which we are so completely overcoem with joy that we lose all sense of regret, fear and discontent. Life, in reality is nothing but a streak of misery that is highlighted by flashes of joy. The true wrorth of our lives is realized in those few fleeting moments. A true spiritualist ultimately aims at converting these few moments into an experience that would last for eternity. In doing so, he unknowingly inspires many other lives as well; bringing joy and laughter to them.
There are few such people in this wretched world that can be truly regarded as harbingers of joy. There are few who have to power to inspire such divine ecstasy within mere humans such as us. They may be saints, artists, entertainers or philosophers; but the mere fact that they are able to bring joy to someone else’s life through their work is something that takes them to an altogether different plane of spiritual existence. Though few of these people fall into the category of being “spiritual”, as the world refers to it, the fact that they are great souls can never be denied. A perfect example of such an individual was indeed Michael Jackson. Now don’t take me wrong; Michael was in no way a saint. He was a human being much like the rest of us. However the boundless joy and ecstasy that his creations injected into the lives of countless around the world was truly worth reckoning. He was a troubled indiviudal both in life and in death. Yet the creations that spurred out of this enigmatic genius were ones that induced great joy in those that beheld them. Thus owing to the fact that so much joy and happiness was spread in this world through the medium of his creations, he became the unknowing recipient of the blessings of countless souls.
Much in the same way, any individual who on his accord becomes the joy of other people’s lives; inspiring them, encouraging them and inducing in them the unconquerable feeling of hope and faith is ultimately baptized as God’s divine child. He forever finds a special place in God’s holy kingdom. However the innate human nature that sticks to such a soul much like a leech, hampers its flight in the endless skies of divinity. Thus it can often be seen that the personal lives of such great inspirers is often one filled with great grief and unimaginable pain. Such is the abject bipolarity of their wretched existence that they can never ever experience the joy that they bring to the lives of countless others.
Thus ultimately we come to the point of the matter. Joy. Joy is much like light in this world. Much like darkness is the absence of light, in the same way sorrow is absence of joy. When the light goes out in a room, it is filled with darkness; much in the same way when joy departs from this world, it’s people are engulfed in sorrow. Thus we finally cognize the true worth of that joy; when it is no more with us. Such is the travesty that surrounds these timeless individuals who live for other’s joy, in their lives the world forever chooses to be coy; but in death is their priceless worth realized; as in afterthought the world thus surmised. Michael Jackson was but one individual. There have been many before him and there will be many more yet to come; humans that in one way or other give us a glimpse of God through the medium of their creations; beacons of light and inspiration that fill our lives with joy giving us the taste of ultimate bliss and supreme ecstasy…
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Artists through the decades have always been perceived as being closer to God. They have always had to love and adulation of all those around them, simply owing to the fact that they have inspired countless more with their artistic creations. While this fact can never be denied, one is always forced to ask the subsequent question…
Ludvig Van Beethoven
Are artists really that close to God?
The answer to that question cannot be given in one single word. To say the least, it can be stated that most artists live in a starkly bipolar existence that meanders aimlessly between ecstasy and anguish. They are closest to God in the moment of creation, and yet when that moment passes away, they fall back into the abyss that is created in the wake of their flight. The reason for this is inherently the fact, that artists are in the end, but humans. They are humans, who in parts are extremely enriched and wel-endowed in terms of the gifts that they receive from the creator. Yet they bear all the weaknesses and the frailties that accompany human existence.
An artist is a vehicle of expression. He is necessarily someone, who remains untouched by the many deceptive illusions that society puts on an individual. Society on its part, tries to train and breed individuals equally, irrespective of their qualities and their capabilities. The mould, in which human beings are cast in, is something that completely destroys the spontaneity and creativity in any human being. These same virtues of creativity and spontaneity are preserved intact in any artist. Thus it would not be wrong to state that any artist is someone who the society has failed to institutionalize according to its mandate.
Thus the artist is nothing but a vehicle of expression. He is someone, who can carry the intuitive cognizance of divinity and express it directly through his art. Owing to the fact that he is but a vessel of inspiration, it is often seen that these artists are some of the most personally devastated and troubled individuals. This is owing to the fact that they simply remain the vessels of inspiration; and they on their own accord fail to ingest and utilize the divine intuitive grace that flows through them.
So are artists really that close to God?
I would say simply for a few moments they are; but there are some who are resolute in carrying out a divine purpose through their work of art; the divine purpose of enlightenment. For it is this purpose that brings them all the more closer to God, and then they remain there for good; for in the end, they truly become that which they preach. Art serves its purpose only in enlightenment… and that is a purpose that rescues every ailing artist of his varied heartaches…
P.S. The man featured in the image is Ludvig Van Beethoven, an eighteenth-century composer.
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January 31, 2010 11:42 pm | 
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