FOR THE SAKE OF THE WORLD
Sol LeWitt, an American artist, in his letter to a friend artist, spoke of courage and empowerment. “Don’t worry about cool, make your own uncool. . . . you are not responsible for the world—you are only responsible for your work—so DO IT. And don’t think that your work has to conform to any preconceived form, idea or flavor. It can be anything you want it to be.”
For decades, I was consumed with being responsible for the world, to save the world. I still am, more than ever. But how I approach and engage the world has radically changed. By caring for the world, I have learned to care about the work I am doing and want to do. The betterment of the world by helping to bring God’s kingdom to this earth was the grand operative vision. And only that mattered. Vision had little or no connection or regard for my selfhood. The disconnection led to an unfortunate and unhealthy compartmentalization of the world and the selfhood when the world Jesus died for included every single self. The bifurcated reality pitted the world against selfhood and vice versa. One would have to choose one or the other since choosing both was thought to be a slippery slope into a schizophrenic form of existence.
LeWitt’s advice awakens those who want to heed a crucial first step out of the shallow dualistic thinking—focus on yourself and your work. What LeWitt does not say, at least in his letter to a friend, is that when we pay attention to our selfhood, the world will benefit. All our work can be original. If we don’t do our authentic and unique work, no one else will and can. What is “cool” and “uncool” remains subjective. When we do our work, we touch the segments of the world we are meant to touch. All the more reasons for all of us to discover and focus on our work. . .
Our work arises out of our self if the work is authentic. We can do fake work, but that will burn out, and we will start running on fumes. Adrian Van Kaam, a Dutch priest, has written extensively on the concept of originality.
Originality is like a unique mark each man receives at birth. It is his latent ability to be himself in his own way.
A value lacking in many of us is the courage to live our own lives.
Thomas Merton offers a similar insight. “For me to be a saint means to be myself. Therefore, the problem of sanctity and sanctification is in fact the problem of finding who we are and discovering our true self.” Originality of our work must stem from our original self. I believe there is a saint in all of us if we do the courageous work to discover our original self and live our own lives.
Over the weekend in New York, we eagerly maneuvered our way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of our favorite things to do in the city, not to mention the gluttony-driven, gluten-filled pizzas and bagels (excluding my wife, who just patiently watched me devour them). Over time, while visiting museums, with slight exaggeration, I have evolved from iguana-esque perceiving, seeing everything in all directions frantically but understanding nothing, to ruminant lingering, imagining the story behind the artists, and letting the artists speak to my life. As I have paid attention to my work, other artists’ works entered my purview. I don’t appreciate all artists’ works, and that is precisely my assertion. They remained authentic, “uncool” in their stories and work, and some touch and move me deeply, while others do not.
All artists begin their creative journey as cover artists by imitating the artists and works they love, which was clearly evident in Monet, van Gogh, Picasso, etc. This is how we grow, mature, and discover our authentic and unique styles. All human beings are “cover” beings, imitating and emulating those they admire. This process allows us to pay our dues and continues the evolution of humanity’s consciousness throughout history. As we uncover our signature and God-given selves and commit to our unique “arts” and works—a lifelong journey, no doubt—we become gifts to the world without us trying. That is the only genuine way to make an impact, by speaking to and influencing those who resonate with our voices, colors, and actions.