Art Is Not Selfish

"Making art is not selfish; it's for the rest of us. If you don't do your thing, you're cheating us." - Kevin Kelly

One of the best books you'll ever read isn't a book as much as it is a list in book form. Kevin Kelly's Excellent Advice For Living is just that. It's excellent. And it's excellent advice for living.

Something I struggle with is justifying my work. Some days, I feel like it's critical. Other days, I don't know why I should bother. I know the professional shows up for work every time and doesn't wait for inspiration. I know that music and writing change lives because they changed mine. I know that teaching someone something you know is invaluable because teachers have changed my life.

I'm a musician, an educator, and a writer, and sometimes I feel like I'm doing exactly what I've been put here to do.

And other times I feel like I'm shouting into the void that is modernity. Not that I would have been in a better position at any point in the past. It just feels uniquely overwhelming to be alive right now.

And it feels like nothing matters. Nothing any of us does matters.

But that can't be true. We may all be forgotten at some point but we're all here now, and that's important to recognize.

No single person changes the world. But we can all use our talents and gifts to help others.

And that has an impact.

I know my blog is not supposed to be my personal journal, but I've been thinking about this for a while and needed to let it out somewhere. Thank you for reading.

I'm going to get back to work now. Well, other work. Because this is part of my work too.