As an artist, I feel we are always working within the broader framework of society’s needs. Beyond food, clothing, and shelter, which other professions perhaps cater to more directly, artists have a responsibility to hold society together in a more spiritual manner.
In that sense, morality and spirituality become important, though morality can be interpreted differently by different people. One need not simply follow the rules that society at large agrees with; one may have one’s own understanding of it. That is not the question here.
But as an artist, I feel it is our responsibility to provide depth to society and to mankind.
Doctors, lawyers, engineers, cooks, manufacturers and others provide tangible goods and services that are of immediate, day-to-day benefit. Artists, I feel, must provide the next level of inner satisfaction.
That comes with great responsibility, because what we create through art is meant to be soul-satisfying. And for it to truly become that, the artist first has to be very clear about their intentions and the purpose of their art.
So I think this is a very big responsibility that artists carry. Even when they are not performing, these qualities are bound to be tested, because the art we create is ultimately a reflection of who we are.
Only if we follow the principles we truly believe in, in our day-to-day lives, will we be able to bring them out honestly in our art.
