Many actors and other artists want their creative work to have meaning for themselves, and strong impacts on others. They are often passionate social activists.
The PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) campaign “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” has engaged many artists over the years to pose nude for posters, including musician Dave Navarro, actors Olivia Munn, Eva Mendes and many others.Actor Gillian Anderson writes about her own participation: “This is my body. It’s mine to do with as I please.
“And today, I’m using it to stand up for animals and their right to exist as they please — with their skin still attached, naturally.
“My nakedness also makes a bigger statement.
“As an actor who is usually unusually modest, suddenly I find myself concerned that modern feminism has too many people confusing sexy with sexist..."
http://thecreativemind.net/4888/are-you-passionate-about-your-creative-w...
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To me, that is the very purpose of art, in its purest sense - to express, reflect, and provoke thought - in an engaging and challenging way. There's also nothing wrong with escapist entertainment, but it's not art. One seeks to inspire and explore, the other to deny and ignore. One is mindful, the other mindless. Yet both have their place and serve their purpose. Problems only arise when people confuse the two and DEMAND that artists be entertainers (musicians/singers/and screenwriters alike), treating their mission-driven mentality as though it must morph and conform into a commodity. Still, there is a place for both art and entertainment, and gifted storytellers (across all artistic venues) actually blend the two...when allowed. And when not allowed, they either suffer, self-destruct, sell out, quit, or forge their own way forward. I recommend the only non-victim option - independence. But if one decides that self-preservation requires stepping away from a toxic environment to pursue something more meaningful, I'm all for that too. The important thing is to make decisions for yourself and not let anyone else rent space in your head. Life is short, we should fill it with what brings us the most joy and purpose, (imho).
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This image was at the top of my LinkedIn feed today. It was posted by an Austin FF rep.
Glad you can relate, Erik. It's what motivates me as well.
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Jean - That is a nice quote (in the image) by Ron Howard - it reminds me of psychologist and creativity coach Eric Maisel, who points out in his article Making Meaning that the ongoing search for meaning and the task of meaning-making “is work, but it is the loving work of self-creation. It is the choice we make about how we intend to live our life.” - From my article Creating To Maintain Meaning http://thecreativemind.net/3915/
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Those ideas have always resonated with me. Great website, Douglas.