On Art.

I think it is safe to say that there are two things that art and porn have in common. They can both be hard to define. It’s more a “you knows it when you sees it” kind of thing. The other commonality is that Skrivarn likes 'em both. There’s nothing like sharing a little art with a loved one. But, if push comes to shove, art can also be appreciated as a private endeavor.

In thinking about art, I often wonder if there is a line that demarcates where a dabbler ends and an artist begins. Was that an artist who brought home the perfectly proportioned stick figure, wide eyes looking for approval behind paper canvas? How far a gulf betwixt this and the practiced hand finding creative expression, reaching toward a chapel dome? Is there truly some genius that resides in the eye and hand, able to find escape for the perfectly formed David from his marble cage? Are these kin to the common man? Or, are they alien strangers, wandering amidst a great sea of banality? Methinks there is a spark, the exact abode, I cannot tell, that reaches beyond simple rearranging of the knick-knacks of life. There is an expulsion from human lips, which grants the seeds to inanimate form, bringing it to life. Not everyone has the fecund touch. There is much emptiness in the history of human endeavor. Many are those who play at life, but few who know to live it. Rare is the true new voice…a vision…and the ability to cast new shadows in the light of daily life.

I cannot write of something so universal without acknowledging that I simply opine. The subjectivity of the topic at hand refuses to be defined by one mere mind. I have, however, come to a few thoughts as to what I believe makes one an artist. Traits that, while describing a cornucopia of individuality, seem to be found in all who ply their artistic trade. I think that all who are artists are primarily exhibitionists. They seem unhindered by false modesty, and are willing to skip unheedingly through the market, unclothed, unbothered by the fact they display rebounding balls or undulating breast. They have the unabashed audacity to cry out, “See me now! Look! Feel! Hear! See what my hands have wrought!” A man is never more a god than when he performs that which he knows is approaching excellence. An artist is not apologetic. There is no need to be told of his greatness. He knows. It seems to me that one is doing art when busy doing the one thing they know they do well…the one arena where all systems are go. The one place where they are totally, and absolutely in no doubt that this is what they were meant to do. They are fish that have found their stream. Lucky is the one who has found such waters in which to plunge. An artist’s work energizes, rather than depletes. It gives life and strength.

An artist does not really solicit opinion. Sure, it’s nice to receive praise and accolades; but, there is no need to ask, “Do you think this is good”. If you are working in the proper forum, you know.

An artist is one who is in touch with an inner muse. The notes often seem to float from the instrument, with no conscious control or design. Have you ever heard words flow through your mouth, hearing them, for the first time, along with whoever else may be in audience? If so, you know exactly what I mean. There is genius, in the true sense of the word, at work.

I can only assume that there are many cases of unrealized potential; for the artist also knows the hours of toil that go into honing his or her craft. Much is the time spent with muted guitar, a page scrawled with undisciplined word and the agonizing fall of a dancer, yet to be. Hard work is the price to hear the siren call of possible success. Toil spent with no guarantee that you may turn out to be no more than a paint-by-number drawing hobbyist. Chance plays no part in brilliance; but it is most undeniably a large gamble. Just because you have felt your mind immersed in brilliant song does not mean you will necessarily a songbird be. But, without the chiseled practiced frame, made possible only by sweat, sinew and travail, the muse is fully without means. An instantaneous flash of brilliance will only follow the practice of hard discipline. The natural born can, indeed, become the stillborn.

Finally, the artist is practiced in the art of love. Each song is a whisper in the intended’s ear. Hands caress the clay or stone. Each visual delight an orgasm of color and hew. The artist exults as she performs her preferred dance. The audience invited to join in the intermingling of sensation. The back and forth rocking of inner being, birthing a new idea…a new way to see…a passing of the fire, igniting the imagination of a newly awakened artisan.

Now…where did I put those crayons?

Responsibilty.

As you drive your car, I wonder if you have considered the importance of the linchpin. The linchpin is what keeps the wheels from falling off of your car as you speed down the highway. The operating system in your automobile is complex; but, without the linchpin, you would not get very far.

I consider responsibility to be the linchpin of the satanic philosophy. Do not make the mistake of turning that statement into an absolute. Some may disagree; but, as I think over issues that have come up, in regards to Satanism, I would wager that 90% of the time, the concept of responsibility is overlooked.

There is the asking of questions that are answered in “The Satanic Bible”. This book can easily be read in one sitting…especially if someone already considers himself or herself a Satanist, which many seem to do without the benefit of reading this core text. This is not a difficult book to understand. If there is a question about the basics of this religion, and whether or not it describes the reader, it is answered.

Once this core text is read, there are several other books written by Anton LaVey that covers a myriad of subjects. Lest one is concerned that modernity poses a problem, our present High Priest has also added to this list, with essays covering issues of contemporary import.

But even beyond that, I am espousing a radical sense of responsibility for oneself. Often, I see people place themselves in the hands of others, whether it is doctors, lawyers or supposed experts in any field, without educating themselves with concerns of personal import. I have yet to deal with a professional when I have not had to intervene on my own behalf…and I am happy to do that. This is me I am talking about. The only person who is responsible for seeing that any and all of my needs are met is myself. Anyone else I involve is a facilitator.

Every Satanist should have an invisible sign on their forehead that reads “the buck stops here”. There is no need to complain about what someone else has not done. If it concerns you, it is your responsibility to see that it is done. If the person you have hired to do a specialized task is not performing, fire them.

This also involves the issue of authority. Who legitimizes the right of you to exercise power in your life? You do. When someone declares himself or herself a Satanist, they are stating that they the God of their life. That is not simply metaphor. They claim full responsibility for themselves, and they claim to be the authority over themselves.

Part of authority is authorship. It assumes a generative power. That is, it indicates the power to generate or produce something. The question of genetics often comes up when discussing Satanism. I deny that there are genetic indicators for Satanism. Genetics determines my physical build, my health and even my personality. But Satanism goes to the essence of who I am. I am totally responsible for that. I have the power to decide on what choices I make and my actions and reactions; and, in doing so I create whom I am. I propose that it is that willingness and ability to be responsible for who we are and what we become that is at the heart of what it means when we say that Satanists are born. Very few are ready, willing or able to do that.

Enough with toying with the peripherals of what it is to be a Satanist. That is child’s play. Satanism is about being a grown up. It is about making our own decisions, for our own reasons. And it is about accepting the authority to make our lives what we want them to be…and being responsible for the results.