I've been reading...

In the book I'm reading at the moment ("One Pill Makes You Smaller" by Lisa Dierbeck), I found a quote: "To be an artist, one must announce: Screw you. I don't give a fuck. To hell with it. Damn you. Utterly."

Seems like I'm not an artist then... I underlined the quote with my pencil because I like it. Doesn't mean I agree with it. In my opinion, to be an artist means one must announce what one feels like announcing. I don't have to give a fuck but I can if I want to. Oh, I really don't like Van Gogh's "Sunflowers". Here- I said it! I can't understand them and I don't understand the fascination. Because of my lack of understanding, I went to see them with my own eyes. I was staring, I was searching for the genius - I couldn't find it. I am sorry.

And then, my Friend, Toni, gave me one of his sketches. Have you heard about Toni? Doubt it. I bet you've heard about Van Gogh. And I looked at Toni's sketch and I was mesmerised. I'm not going to describe it - look for yourself:

Toni Russo - and I don't know the title (sorry, Toni).

And in this case, I do not give a fuck about the "Sunflowers".

But then, there might be a "pop something". Something that "artists" don't give a damn about. Sells well but is not "poetic" or whatever. And the brave thing to say in THIS case is: I like it. Well, I will never say that I like James Blunt but it's OK if you do. Trust me, there are a lot of things that are not "cool" that I adore.

Being an artist is to admit that you like or you don't like something whatever whoever says. Being an artist is being yourself. Being yourself is being OK with being cliche (sometimes :) ), being independent in your thoughts, being brave enough to say: well, I don't think it's kitsch.

Since I've been a teenager, at school, they've told me: you're a rebel. And I laughed. Because I've never planned to be a rebel. Luckily enough - I lived in the places and times when I didn't have to rebel against anything. What's the point in being a rebel without a reason? Being cool?

I find so many so-called-artists that are trying to be cool by doing this or that, trying to be cool by not being cool... The point is - they keep trying. And trying to be is something I don't do - I just am.

If you ever wonder about the artist percentage in you - just sit down and think about how much you is in you. Don't listen to "the cool". Yes, it's good to have your masters. But it's better to say that you think that they are not right when you think they aren't.

Nowadays, too many of us are embarrassed to be real. There's no shame in being. There's no shame in feeling. There's no shame in liking James Blunt. Bless him.

P.S.

I carried on reading and had another thought: being provocative, by no means, is being yourself or as being "above". Being provocative "by accident" is fine by me - it's just another thing you say that people find a bit more controversial. But being provocative in a way that you think about it every day and every night and you just hope to appear in the world because you said something that the others would argue with - well, that's a piece of poo and you're losing your grip...

P.S. II

My blog has been banned by the place I work for. When you put the web address in, a little thing pops out. It says: "Access denied. Block pornography. You will be reported." ... :)