Who is my Hero?
Imagine that you are driving down the labyrinth of state highways- without GPS; and sign boards in languages you cannot follow. At every juncture you wonder if you are on the correct road, if you took the correct turn at the previous round-about, which way to turn now, should you step out of this highway and travel into the village nearby maybe?! Add to this the fact that you have no clue what your destination is!
It seems ridiculous? May be not! If you are a young artiste, the roads of your artistic career or journey could be as daunting.Very few artistes have the intuition and knowledge to foresee the decades that lie ahead of them. So for the majority, choices are made on instinct, advice and inspiration. Instinct comes from within, advice from near and dear ones, inspiration from those who have been touched by fame and success.
You place your trust in those who can guide you- your parents, Guru, mentor- these are the people you reach out to when in need. On the other hand, artistes in positions of power and fame are the ones who influence your goals, motives and actions to a great extent. Careers are modeled on those who inspire awe. So, when controversy hits those who sit on these pedestals of fame and popularity, it is the younger generation of artistes who stand confused. Is it right? Is it wrong? Why is it right or wrong? A situation like this once again brings up the many questions that one rarely acknowledges, forget asking. What is the true social responsibility of an artiste? How can we as a generation of young artistes, ensure that all good work gets its due? Is it possible to be famous too soon? With whom does the responsibility lie- of truly inspiring and being rightly inspired? The intention of these questions is not to draw people into opposing camps. The intention is to receive an objective answer. With the limited information I have at hand, I am in no position to take sides either. But I do see a need to take a stand- and it is not easy to arrive at what we want to stand for if we remain confused!
The world of arts cannot be a tug-o-war between quick heady fame and endurance-proven success. What we need at the moment is for someone to paint a picture of clarity- maybe give us a GPS device and some sign boards in a language we understand!
While we yearn for this clarity from those who can give it to us; let us invest our energy in celebrating the lives, work and attributes of the heroes that surround us everyday. If we can truly stay inspired in our art and in our careers by the values that all these people personify (even if they aren't artistes), we may not need GPS; and the destination won't matter!
It seems ridiculous? May be not! If you are a young artiste, the roads of your artistic career or journey could be as daunting.Very few artistes have the intuition and knowledge to foresee the decades that lie ahead of them. So for the majority, choices are made on instinct, advice and inspiration. Instinct comes from within, advice from near and dear ones, inspiration from those who have been touched by fame and success.
You place your trust in those who can guide you- your parents, Guru, mentor- these are the people you reach out to when in need. On the other hand, artistes in positions of power and fame are the ones who influence your goals, motives and actions to a great extent. Careers are modeled on those who inspire awe. So, when controversy hits those who sit on these pedestals of fame and popularity, it is the younger generation of artistes who stand confused. Is it right? Is it wrong? Why is it right or wrong? A situation like this once again brings up the many questions that one rarely acknowledges, forget asking. What is the true social responsibility of an artiste? How can we as a generation of young artistes, ensure that all good work gets its due? Is it possible to be famous too soon? With whom does the responsibility lie- of truly inspiring and being rightly inspired? The intention of these questions is not to draw people into opposing camps. The intention is to receive an objective answer. With the limited information I have at hand, I am in no position to take sides either. But I do see a need to take a stand- and it is not easy to arrive at what we want to stand for if we remain confused!
The world of arts cannot be a tug-o-war between quick heady fame and endurance-proven success. What we need at the moment is for someone to paint a picture of clarity- maybe give us a GPS device and some sign boards in a language we understand!
While we yearn for this clarity from those who can give it to us; let us invest our energy in celebrating the lives, work and attributes of the heroes that surround us everyday. If we can truly stay inspired in our art and in our careers by the values that all these people personify (even if they aren't artistes), we may not need GPS; and the destination won't matter!
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