The Body as Art

It is important to avoid the somewhat western idea of a brain and body apart; the head being the center of thought connected to this body we just happen to carry around with us. I want to encourage younger artists not to fall into the notion that being some kind of "brainy nerd" or "depressed genius" is the key to creative excellence. And to advise young artists not to loose their futures to drugs; falling into them is the end of energy. One must try to see the bad influences for what they are. Realize that the media is selling us, Gangsta Rap, heavy metal, and Satanic music. And packaged together,(sex & violence) as if they belonged together, which they don't! The media, then sells you the movie, the toy, the game, the CD, the clothes, the cosmetics, and everything else it takes to finance the pursuit of being "COOL". Being "cool" is what one needs when they have nothing else going for them: no intelligence, education, subtlety, complexity, self-confidence, or individuality; it's a defense mechanism.

Work on your entire self and don't be afraid to be beautiful, sensual, intelligent, and physically fit, as well as unique & hard working. One of the greatest geniuses of all time, Leonardo DaVinci, was not only known as a great artist and mind, but for his incredible strength, beauty and symmetry. Celebrating the "self" is not egoism; as Arnold Schwarzenegger said in his, Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding, "...egoism is when you celebrate that which you don't have as if you do..." and accomplishing real feats both mental & physical are worth celebrating. Much of our "modern" education strategy is full of, "feel good stuff". Learning is hard, like bodybuilding it hurts, but it hurts in a subtle way. It hurts the mind and we feel frustrated and turn to the easier way out. It's easy to fill ourselves with holes, earrings, tatoos, pink hair, loud mindless music, but a mind is like a Ferrari sports car; you cant fill it with cheap fuel! When your mind is strong and hard and full of real imformation, you have a great gift that can't be taken away; and if you want to add styles to your image at that point well, once you have knowledge, you are free.

The path of an artist is the path of the warrior. As the Carlos Castanedas' book - "A Yaqui Way of Knowledge", the character, Don Juan, the Yaqui Indian shaman would say, the path of the warrior is the path to knowledge. The exploration of reality is the fearsome task of the warrior; it requires all the warrior's powers to remain composed, before the chasm of chaos.