So there was an interesting question posed: What do you care about? What issue is so pressing, that your art revolves, in some way, around it?
A lot of the students wrote theirs on big societal issues such as copyright, public education and art department funding, gender issues, and such. I wrote mine on inner peace, because, as I hope you can tell, a lot of my art focuses on spirituality.
Why do I make art?
Well… that's a question with many answers, but the biggest one is not because of monetary gain, otherwise I would have been a scientist (an environmental one, or a geologist, to be specific).
So why do I do it? Well.. because I like to. I am enjoying my journey to death, which is the only real journey, and I feel like appreciating the universe around me and within me is the most constructive use of my time.
So as I sit here, munching on mini packs of Whoppers, others are in a rush. Always GO GO GO for the modern get-to-it society, and when they see my art, I want them to forget about it for a minute, for a second, for a millisecond, and that's all I need. Just a glance where people stop to look. When people do this I hope not to receive compliments, although they are appreciated, but I want my art to impact them, to drive them, consciously or subconsciously, to look at the beauty around them. So many people die in this world thinking the only thing that matters is material gain. So many people understand the concept of material things not mattering, but can't embrace it. They look to these things, and these people like a puppy looks to their owner. They are completely dependent on these things for validation and justification for the things they do instead of looking within themselves or to nature, to know and embrace that they are a part of nature. To know and to embrace that they are part of this universe, and are made out of the same elements as a mouse or a tree or a rock, or even stars. That's why I make art. To remind you of your connections, not to society, but to the universe as a whole. To remind you that the only thing that matters is here and now.