Creativity

I firmly believe that from the highest perspective, for a true artist, the creative process must be executed with complete artistic integrity. You have been blessed with a vivid imagination for a reason: so that you can transfer you creative gifts into the material world for shared joy, but I feel, and I know other true artists can relate, that your art will not be fulfilling if you compromise any part of your organic vision based on your creative instincts. So, when I hear people say something like "Well, look what that filmmaker was able to pull off for such a low budget, wow", I think to myself "Uh...yeah, they pulled off exactly that: what they were ABLE to pull off within their circumstances. But as a finished piece, without the context, it's a very low quality film". From my perspective, what many people call "creativity" is really ingenuity encompassed by relativity. Indeed, if your mode is spontaneity, then I'd say you're definitely utilizing your creativity. But for a true artist, with a project that has a longer term higher purpose, I refuse relativity. There is no relativity. Relativity is defeat. There is your vision, and your execution. If it doesn't come out right, then I've learned to keep reminding myself that life is very much a learning process rather than always knowing. Learn your lessons when they happen, but don't make compromises...but I try not to confuse that with collaborating.

Boys to Men (ew, not the R&B group)

I've discovered that a lot of the adult population don't take youth seriously(aside from adoration). I recently was talking a very very wise spiritual teacher about the communication barriers between youth and adults. He stated, "Men and women don't take boys and girls seriously; they take other men and women seriously".

I never really thought of it so succinctly like that. I realized he was absolutely right....which is ironic, because as a result, I now don't take MEN and WOMEN seriously.

Philosophy

For the most part, I've found philosophy to be pointless. Sometimes there is indeed a very interesting perspective that very obliquely alludes to possible advice not stated, but philosophical writings seem to be a lot of statement of truth without any practical, applicable, palpable GAIN. I want knowledge that's useful and practical, whereas philosophy just seems to fill my mind with the 'noise' of other people's thoughts. No thanks.