Art: A Hopeless Pursuit?

   To say the videos and discussion that followed were discouraging may be a bit of an understatement. Hearing Michael Moynihan babble off number after number of disheartening statistics was far from enjoyable. Ditto to "Everything is a Remix" aka "You are not Original".  Yet there are quite a few upsides to this, most prominently is that none of this information was a revelation. As my possible dreams and professions have gradually narrowed down towards pursuing a career in art, my understanding of what said career entails (energy required, money (or lack there of), successfulness (OR LACK THERE OF), etc.) has grown in tandem and yet my passion remains. One day, we may have a fantastic idea, a groundbreaking idea, that could push us through to the top of the totem pole of the art world, only to find out that somebody else has already had almost the exact same idea, nulling our sudden inspiration. The lifestyle and financial security most of us desire may not be realistic unless we break through to be in the top 10%, 5%, maybe even <1%  of recognized artists and while none of that is comforting, it doesn't need to be something to fret over. Why? Because nothing is original, including us! We're not the first generation of artists to face an uphill climb, nor will we be the last. And while we so often look towards other artists for inspiration to aid our own work, maybe it's best if we don't overlook their determination to inspire aiding our own pursuit of art as a whole. Look at there successes, the confidence and notability they gained from them. Know that they failed too, time and time again, rejected from so many galleries and exhibitions. But they persisted, they developed their craft, their mantra, their personality, and eventually, perhaps even inevitability, they made it. Yes, we probably all have some desire to achieve the celebrity of the Picassos, the Pollocks, and the Warhols, but we can all agree that being a remix of the Laytons, the Tolpolskis, and the Werths, would be a tremendous acheivement and a dream well worth the fight.

-Ciarán