Records from Studio Wall...looking forward to witness its evolution. There’s something intriguing about the word “encouragement” in this question.
Being confused, puzzled, surprised is a condition of being, at least to me. It’s unavoidable.
But somehow we are influenced by exterior pressures, whether they come from society, family or partners, to be otherwise. For a good part of my life I was encouraged to avoid these feelings.
Do well, be safe, compromise. I never really fit in.
Then, through a lot of criticism, I began carrying out experiments, changing perspectives, exploring new disciplines, raising challenges. I’m not half way through it and possibly more confused than when I started. But here’s the thing, I was lucky enough to find people who would encourage me to keep searching. And that made a huge difference.
At first, I thought experimentation was a way to ease the discomfort, to solve the puzzle(ment) and be finally at peace. But during this process, I realised that there’s no solution to be found. And no peace.
Each experimentation leads to a new dilemma, each dilemma to a new experimentation. That state of confusion and surprise, bittersweet as it is, is actually the goal. The encouragement to be surprised, puzzled and confused is simply freedom of being.
I believe this is the role of an artist, to keep raising questions, not to give answers. To generate curiosity, not to diminish it. To keep walking, not to settle down.
Therefore, I respond with a quote that I hope will encourage you to expand our discussion...
“Utopia is on the horizon. I move two steps closer; it moves two steps further away. I walk another ten steps and the horizon runs ten steps further away.
As much as I may walk, I'll never reach it. So what's the point of utopia? The point is this: to keep walking.”
― Eduardo Galeano
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