“… why are you trying so hard to fit in, when you’re born to stand out?” ~ Oliver James
My mother always encouraged my individuality and when she wasn’t encouraging it, she faithfully stood back and let me forge ahead to adventure, experiment, and learn from that path. I embraced that same approach when raising my son. My mother wisely valued individualism in its many manifestations. I’m so glad I’ve followed her lead. Individuality comes in many forms, and attempts to squash individuality come in many guises. As a person who makes her living creating art, I am continually finding myself in a position where I am justifying to others the value of art (and photography – fine custom photography — is art). Art, regardless of the medium, is something that should be valued because it is unique, one-of-a-kind, and therefore has a higher value because of the quality components involved in creating that art. Those components include the person who created the art as well as everything else that goes into its creation.
That brings me to an article I strongly urge you to read. The article “Art and Mass Production” by contemporary artist photographer Roberta Murray, is well worth the 5 minute read. She makes such valid points for all of us to seriously consider. As she concludes in her one page article, “In order for people to believe in and value art, it has to start with educating society on the value and importance of art. But maybe even more than that, it has to start with individuality being valued.”
“The man who follows the crowd will get no farther than the crowd. A man who walks alone is likely to get places no one has ever been before.” ~ Alan Ashley-Pitt
Whether you are purchasing original art (painting, sculpture, custom or fine art photography for example), attending live theatre or dance, or purchasing hand made crafts YOU are supporting art and individuality — bravo.
