After talking with Susan and doing some thinking of my own, I have a first draft idea answering the question "why?" So, it kind of goes like this:

I believe that learning so many things is not worth it unless you pass it along. You spend your whole life gathering knowledge and there exists so much more potential for that knowledge when you share it with others. I'd like to give something back. I want to spread knowledge. I value all of the experiences that I have had. I've learned many things from them. I pick through them all and bring my best to hand back. I do this in a way unlike any other source. These are things that I learn or apply first hand. I'm not preaching from a textbook. Art provides a unique arena in which to present what fills my head. I have to let other people know in order to give myself the validity to go on.

This idea came about long before I started making art. This has always been the reason I've felt drawn to teaching. I wanted to teach long before I knew I wanted to do art. Only recently, have I realized how that applies to my art. In my art I don't express emotions, I'm not making a comment on anything, no politics exist, I simply teach. The fact is what I want to get across. The things I add beyond that just facilitate the lesson. Why didn't I make this connection before?
*revised 10/30/03

posted by cliff

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