(no subject)

[benlehman]

A lot of people recently talking about what I should be doing, how I should be doing my art, what I owe to them and a "community" that only exists in our heads and hearts.

Remember what Chris said once: No one has a right to your body but you. I think it goes double this way: No one has a right to your mind but you.

Remember that people beholden to the Man want you to be more like them.

Comments

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

Yup!

It's frustrating. When someone I respect comes to me talking about "artists" and "art" and he means me, I want to believe him. But then he says shit about what artists do and how artists act that I just can't believe.

[yeloson.livejournal.com]

You know, that's what pushed me away from the spoken word scene- when the relationship between the artist and audience stops being one of sharing the art and one where you become the "tube" through which they hope to squeeze the art out of... Or in reverse, when the artist sees the audience to be the tube out of which attention, approval, reputation, validation, sex, whatever is to be squeezed out in return (see: Macktivism).

Which is not to say that these things don't always play a part in the arts (they do), but when the art stops holding value except as a means of exchange to get those things... Usually the loss of respect for the art is hand in hand with the loss of respect for each other as people (artists & audiences).

Interesting thought about "The Man", he always wants you to give up something, starting with boundaries...

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

Yeah. To me, the practice of my art is solely and entirely about establishing intimate connections to other human beings re: stuff we care about. If artist/artist, artist/audience, audience/artist, or audience/audience relationships can help establish that connection, then that's good. If they're not helping, they shouldn't be there. *sigh*

The last bit is from the Drifter's Escape. The whole rule is this:
People beholden to the Man want you to become more like them. People beholden to the Devil want you to do things that benefit them. Decent people want you to do what's right.

[yeloson.livejournal.com]

That really sums up what I haven't had words to express- does the art help us connect as humans and the human experience or does it disconnect us?

And yeah, we had a bit of discussion about Drifter's Escape on that. I didn't know about the Devil folks, but that makes a lot of sense. You can put me on the pre-order list right the fuck now.

[benlehman.livejournal.com]

You're #1.

I'm hoping to be in proof-land by my brother's birthday (may 17th) and printed and shipping by my birthday (june 12th.) These deadlines are ambitious but not impossible.