To create art, you must transcend emotion, rather than purely living in it. Emotion should be used as a catalyst for form and aesthetic, but never as a raw form or aesthetic itself. This is what separates a writer as an artist vs. a diarist. The latter, though relatable, fails to capture the mythological element that elevates itself above writing as personal catharsis — as therapy. It is missing the element of symbolism, which is a more eternal form of truth than anything literal.
Often, on my romps throughout the city, I’ll stop and stare at a compelling piece of architecture I never noticed, though I’d walked past it every day.
Sometimes people stare at me like, “what the fuck is he doing?” or assume I’m a tourist.
Who else would be mesmerized by a building, other than a tourist?
The truth is, we’ve become so saturated by cheap images, so absorbed in the lesser senses, that we spare no time for real beauty when we see it. We hardly notice when it’s right in front of us.
What would happen if you only threw creation into the world — beauty, even if it came from ugliness, and stopped meandering in criticism and the urge to deconstruct?
Orderliness cannot be beautiful unless one has been suffocated by too much chaos. Then, it is aesthetic. That is why disorder imposed on order creates perfect beauty: the ruins of order are more beautiful than order itself or chaos itself. It is the ultimate divine aesthetic. The perfect harmony.
Those who have an inclination toward chaos also have the most potential for greatness. But for most, there is a very fine line between progress and self-destruction. Both require obsessive qualities. A lot of the addicts I’ve met also happen to be the most talented. It’s the ability to focus those addictive tendencies that separates those who channel the fire from those who get burnt.
You forget how powerful you are when you embrace your fear. When you use it as a compass.
Artists are always the first to suffer from a decadent society.
No matter how skilled you become at your craft, there will always be someone who despises what you make. Progress, skill, mastery — none of these things can shield you from criticism. That is why it’s so important to create what you want and to never compromise. Better to provoke love or hatred than to create something mediocre out of fear.
Have no fixed opinions. No immovable narratives.
Storytelling will never die. It is only mediums that become extinct.