50 - Documenting Life
What is the use of a sketchbook? Are we the greatest obstacles in our own creative expression? Can art heal trauma? In this issue, some poetry, some art, and the latest episode of the SneakyArt Podcast.
SneakyArt is secret art of the world. It is created in the flux of everyday life, by ordinary people on ordinary days. It has to be believed to be seen.
if you think of a traffic light
as an intersection of worlds,
I watched worlds collide
and create magic.entire universes
waiting for a light,
waiting for permission
to carry on being.
on a warm evening,
at the edge of dusk,
we sat on soft grass
to watch night take hold.we saw many things
among them, a couple
arguing, drunk, as the light faded
at the edge of the world.
Ep 20 - Documenting Life with Danny Gregory
In the latest episode of the SneakyArt Podcast, I speak with Danny Gregory - author, adman, speaker, artist, podcaster and all-around creative person. Danny has led a remarkable life, growing up in various parts of the world, working different jobs, and pursuing creativity in various forms.
I speak to him about his deliberate journey to become an artist, and what it means to pursue self-expression inside a sketchbook. With reference to the many books he has authored, I pick his brain about what it means to "draw without talent", to "shut your inner critic", and to find beauty in "everyday matters".
I learn from the conversation that every day matters, even when it's filled with just everyday matters. Catch links to Danny's work and buy his books from his website. If the practice of art makes you curious, shed your inhibitions and get moving with his wonderful podcast - art for all.
Listen to the episode on your choice of streaming service. Find a brief transcript here.
Spotify | Apple | PocketCasts | Google | Web | Gaana
Faces for India
Can you tell I have difficulty drawing pets and animals?
In that respect, the Faces for India Project has been an excellent learning opportunity for me. With dozens of lovely pics of people’s pets, I’ve gotten much-needed practice.
Some more cute pet drawings here!
This week, I officially closed submissions for the Faces for India project. With 225 supporters, I have now been able to raise over $11000 for organizations providing essential supplies to India’s vulnerable populations. Thank you to all the generous supporters!
You can see all the portraits I’ve drawn so far here.
Cave Art
This week, I read a fascinating Twitter thread about ancient cave art. It resonates with me because it resets a lot of easy misconceptions about our “primitive” ancestors. To my mind, it illustrates the centrality of the concept of “form following function” across all great human endeavours.
Click below to read the entire thread.
Identity
I just finished reading Francis Fukuyama’s “Identity” which speaks of the clash of individual vs group identities. This has implications for an individual’s demand for dignity, which manifests in what he calls “the politics of resentment”. In the book he posits that -
“Identity grows, in the first place, out of a distinction between one’s true inner self and an outer world of social rules and norms that do not adequately recognize that inner self’s worth or dignity. Individuals throughout history have found themselves at odds with their societies. But only in modern times has the view taken hold that the authentic inner self is intrinsically valuable, and the outer society systematically wrong and unfair in its evaluation of the former. It is not the inner self that has to be made to conform to society’s rules, but society itself that needs to change.”
So strong is the demand for dignity, our need to sate the Greek concept of thymos, that it can supersede our material need for prosperity and personal well-being. Connect this to modern politics, where there are now sections of society all over the world happy to vote against their actual best interests, as long as they can feel recognized and sufficiently respected.
Connecting across centuries from Martin Luther, to Rousseau, to Kant, and to the existential philosopher Hegel, he says -
“Hegel pointed to a fundamental truth about modern politics, that the great passions unleashed by events such as the French Revolution were at base struggles over dignity… The democratic upsurge that would unfold in the two centuries after was driven by peoples demanding recognition of their political personhood, that they were moral agents capable of sharing in political power.”
Identity politics, demand for representation, validation of lived experiences, and dignity, are prime drivers of social movements and politics today. In that light, I think there is a lot to learn from this fascinating book.
Next week, I will have some more drawings for you, and some more words. Thank you for your time and attention.
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