soabox rambling

Wow, a MONTH since my last post, slacker.
It's an interesting job. A lot of NPR (or bad country radio, it goes both ways) and coffee in the morning, while driving. Followed by meeting some new people and sharing the exhibit with them, followed yet again by some more driving. Books on tape, radio...aimless thought wanderings. I have always painted, spent time alone and been comfortable doing so. But this leaves me time to write songs, if I were so inclined or talented in that fashion. I am not, or I haven't developed myself in that way.
Some current questions...what happens if the next Turner, Picasso, Michelangelo..fill in your own fav artist from history, just so happens to not be exposed to art? No training in art...imagine the void. Can we not value art because we can't perceive the void?
Why do we need art? Maybe because each of us needs to have a reason to wake up. A way to feel alive. If it's skiing, science, math, carpentry, break dancing, or art- whatever it is, each of us has to find it.
Why is there a battle for the arts? Is that really something to debate? The necessity of feeling connected to humanity, the need to dance, sing, feel something beautiful wrap over you? Really, because even though I will admit that I wouldn't spend my spare time doing math, does math wrap around even the most ignorant mathematician? Does math cross cultural boundaries and communicate...shiest, maybe it does in a way. I'm not a math hater. I am simply saying that we can and must have it all. I want to give the next Turner a reason to believe they can and should paint. Or at the very least, I like seeing happy kids simply making art. They're happy. Why can't we fight for art just for that fact?

Soapbox, down.
:)