MISSION

To state my mission feels limiting. Although my Artist’s Statement purports an intention and purpose, suggesting a mission, those seem to be necessary when applying for opportunities to create and share my work. I actually feel art arises without mission, like emotions, deep meditation, or love. They all have no real purpose other than their own existence.

Art, to me, is simply self-expression of thoughts and emotions, which does make me healthier and happier, but that is not the mission, rather a side effect. My creativity doesn’t ensure a fulfilling life. That’s just another unintended consequences, but not the purpose by any means.

The words art, creativity, self-expression often evoke something special, magical, mysterious, yet there is nothing mystical about thinking, feeling and expressing those thoughts and emotions through any modality.

Art is like breathing, there is no purpose. We don’t breathe to live, nor do we live to breathe. The only purpose of breath is to be breathed. Breath simply exists and you are either with it, or without it. The paradoxical beauty of breath is that each inhalation gives life and each exhalation takes us towards our last breath. Each breath paddles our boat on a glorious journey for no reason at all.

Similarly, there is no purpose to feelings other than to be felt; they exist and you either feel them or you don’t. Like all things, they arise and pass.

Like love, making art can have no purpose. I don’t make my works in order to feel good, to please another, to create peace or goodwill, to become known, to solve problems, and definitely not to garner financial security. A mission in art is impossible for then it turns into strategy and destroys the very art itself. Self-expression happens and one is either in it, or out of it.

So why do it? For the same reason we love and live: for no reason at all. Like life and love, it is the most worthwhile thing to practice.