Imagine a Life
odysseys all around
Consider the odyssey of imagination…
The only war is the war against the imagination.
Beat poet Diane di Prima’s famous 1985 free verse poem, RANT (complete poem) rants and raves most beautifully.
She speaks to the human capacity for envisioning alternative possibilities through the aliveness of imagination:
Without imagination, there is no memory.
Without imagination, there is no sensation.
Without imagination, there is no will, desire.
Imagination is at the heart of any artful endeavor. The phrase Art for Art’s Sake was popularized during the 19th Century. It seemed to explain a lot—we need art—until it no longer said enough. Why is this true? The phrase has become an embarrassing concept during chaotic times full of questions about the value of anything.
Zadie Smith recently addressed this idea and found a better twist on the words. Her essay titled Art for Our Sakes celebrates the output of creative imagination made by humans for other humans.
Each human engages in their own unique odyssey. Connecting with the odysseys of poets and artists was important early on in my aspirations to make art, especially learning about all the ways they stepped outside of conventions. I continue to seek out these stories—documentaries and biopics of interesting lives, especially women who take risks. As a young woman in the 1970s and 80s, I was especially drawn to pioneering characters of the early 20th Century.
Anais Nin, a writer who sought out the company of other creatives while residing on a houseboat in Paris—her enticing tales of discovery lit a spark for anyone yearning a way out of the encroaching suburban flatness of modern life. Her words leave so much to ponder. We don’t see things as they are…we see them as we are.
The painter, Georgia O’Keeffe, drove across the country in an early model vehicle to explore the land of the still-raw Southwest U.S. She painted the rocks, hills, bones, flowers and sky of that land.
She takes note of this: Imagination makes you see all sorts of things.
So simple and true. Imagination can also lead to overthinking things at times. Personal identification as an artist requires ongoing imagination and renewal, especially as the pursuit does not deliver monetary gain without extra efforts. As the Art for Art’s Sake slogan lost power for me, authoring my own odyssey became part of fueling a continuing belief that my art practice is not just an occupation of my time, but worthy in more expansive ways. Building an aesthetic environment is meaningful. I wrote a book about my own unfolding adventure.
I sometimes struggle with the realization that perhaps creating physical art objects that have questionable value may simply be a problem of environmental pollution. Then, I remember all the layers of shrink-wrapped plastic encasing so many of our consumer goods. I remember all the boxes and tape. I remember the non-recyclable containers. All goes into the trash—to landfills, oceans and the air we breathe. None of this environmental pollution has been resolved.
I remember all the unwanted antiques and tchotchkes strewn about every yard sale and thrift shop. We need the aesthetic bits to connect inner psyche with outer experience. I have a certain amount of such items in my home, treasures, books and art that I carry with me from home to home—pleasurable reminders. I do like vintage bark cloth.
The problem is bigger than me. As many difficult scenarios are upon us, citizens living in the early 21st Century are joined together in a daunting common odyssey, an impending collision course of crossroads. Still, it good to be here with water, Lotus blooms, imagination and Art for Our Sakes.
~~~~~~
