HoMy Why!…

I don’t like to speak about myself. World (and humans in general) has so much more needs —and should worry as such— than just another individual(ist) more or less obvious life human story. I don´t like to offer to others what I am not, try to delude others —and myself—, about what I am not.

But the fact is that some a posteriori disclosures could be inspirational…

One aspect that still intrigues me is the diversity of things I have been doing in the arts, not only confined to one area but to many and to “subareas” framed within each area where I have been creating and producing.

It is impossible to be a specialist when one do so many different things more-or-less-at-same-time. As such, I know I am deeply specialised in nothing. This is dangerous when viewed from some points-of-view, namely the academia (at least for certain currents). So I think that, unconsciously or consciously, I always tried to conceal the fact that I am not truly specialised in no such one thing.

Another aspect: when I look at things I have done I say to myself “gosh… so many mistakes”. Some are so awkward that make me blush and surely make laugh of derision even the least advised people regarding issues addressed on some of these items —be them substantiated on sounds, on visuals or on words.

Said that, why should I have a site dedicated to what I think. Most importantly why pages about what I have been doing? It could seem that, at a certain level I am enchanted by my own stupidity, by my own incapacity to see my faulty competences.

Coins have two sides. And both have value. After more than 30 years meditating on the values of such characteristic(s) I think I can propose some ideas about what summative insights on my behaviour could, eventually, help me to better understand what I am and, via this understanding, try to be a better human… everyday:

•) Perspective(s)
Ability to see, discuss and accept that reality is not a reality of mine but ours and that this could mean different not only conceptually but de-facto, as a different understanding makes us act and build the world differently.
And that we should not judge others acts based upon our own, solely, perspective, but opened to others perspective even if this could mean a very difficult exercise of understanding.

•) Availability to take risks (and, eventually, be hurt)
Doing live portraits and live music is like to do acrobatics without a net… one huge difference is that as acrobats we can hurt badly physically and as artists we can hurt badly emotionally (second level emotions, or processed emotions, i.e., feelings)
Loose afraid (to fail)… Although afraid could represent survival (before the laws of life) I think it is mostly fatal in arts. Prudence could be useful. To much prudence could be inhibitory. Excessive prudence is blocking.
Arts do need risks.

•) Purpose
More focus on real needs. Acting by the usefulness, relevance and impact of our creativity and work on the world including them (the other), not only us. Mediocrity (mine) avoidance (as far as I can…). Don´t waist energy, physical and animic, on quarrels and misunderstandings and meanness work.

•) Availability to do… and do!
Nothing gets done if we only think… a least loosely!
In arts if we imagine a thing we would better do it, otherwise we will see our imagination represented somewhere soon!
In society our most important characteristics are co-existence and co-working. We should value them.

•) Persevering
Although many times conjuncture, circumstance and perspective are strong adversities to the prosecution of our projects, pertinacity can keep us turning back on trail and on the possibility to achieve the goals we set ourselves.

•) Availability to be judged
It could seem that is easy to judge. This is a misunderstanding assumption. To judge is one of the most difficult exercises for the human intelligence. Each one of us can judge but a fair judgment depends on conjuncture, circumstance and perspective. To fulfil the latter fundamental need we should go out our comfort zone many times but this depends on our ability to do that. I think if we make us available to be judge —as that could imply the other perspective and what that could represent—, we can build a better understanding of how judgments should be walked.

•) Spiraling (being ciclic but absorbing the last experience and using it as an “exponentiator” value) Competences (whatever competences) are better incised by small doses, step at a time, many times, adding, each step (in the process), more deepness and strength to the competence. This process also helps to implement perspective and focusing.

When we go outside of a problem for sometime —i.e., the in between the time and space of each cycle— we implement the ability to 1) Rewind, 2) Review, 3) Rethink, 4) Redefine, 6) Retarget and 7) Recycle.

 

Horácio {Tomé Marques}