How to appreciate a jewel


Why I'm Glad I'm Not a Minority Writer

I'll admit that I used to be jealous of myor group identification.There is enormous
compadres who were minorities in my BFAassociative power in group
Creative Writing program. The rest of us wereidentification--that is why we are constantly
just crusty white kids with no rhythm.So, Ibeing told to choose, in the moment, which
used to be a little jealous of the amount ofsocial group we define ourselves as--black,
anger material these minority writers hadwhite, gay, christian, conservative, liberal,
access to. There is a lot of inspiration inrich, poor, etc. There is a certain amount of
one's cultural identity but if thatcreative inspiration to be derived from one's
inspiration doesn't allow the artist tosocial group, but if you examine this
create works that break past the illusoryinspiration closely you will see that the
bonds of time and space to that oneness thatmajority of art that comes from this source
unites us all then the art won't last andis usually so infused with the anger that
won't have quite the impact the artist hopescomes from the tallying of group suffering
it will. In fact, here is a definition ofthat it has no breakthrough into the
good art you can copy paste into yourtranscendent mystery which lies beyond time,
brilliant quotes file. This one comes fromspace and our petty egos (which only last as
yours' truly, Uncle Josh:"Art (with a capitallong as we draw breath; the spirit is eternal
A) is all about using the contemporary formsand therefore incorruptible or haven't you
of time and space (people, objects and theirgot that memo yet?).So, while minorities may
relationships) to blow apart the phenomenalhave a lot of inspiration to draw from that
differences that keep us each locked intoproduces some great Saturday Night Live and
what appears to be an inescapable prison (ourDave Chappelle skits, most of these are
own egos which are composed of our experiencewithout any true breakthrough; they are
and emotional and intellectual reactions toimproper art, using the artistic aesthetics
the present moment, from which we project theput forth by James Joyce in A Portrait of the
future)."But it is in this projection of theArtist as a Young Man.In-group anger can only
future where humanity's greatest certaintake an artist as far as they are willing to
unalienable right exists--the right of theultimately let it go completely. Only by
choice about how to act this moment. It iswillingly letting go of our social identify
freedom of choice about how to act in theand, ultimately, our individual identities in
moment (in other words, creating theirthe moment, can we touch the true source of
reality in the moment through sheer will)inspiration which lies inside each of us like
that allowed people overcome atrocities likea platinum encased diamond nugget at the
The Holocaust where every bit of securitycenters of our being.In fact, this is the
involved in associating through one'sexact message that I wrote about in my short
cultural identity was removed completely andstory Pyrite ( spent a lot of my late teens
the individual was reduced to a scroungingand early twenties being angry for other
animal. This is the point where survival ofgroups of people because my group identity
the fittest and preservation of self becomes(middle class white kid in a sea of other
king and the social morays simply drop awaymiddle class white kids) was the system of
like burning paper mache.I have studied Theoppression and the source of much of their
Holocaust passionately now for sixteen years.anger. But I'm through being angry and I'm
I completed course upon course in college andthrough defining myself with abstract
have read book upon book about those twentyconcepts; I'll leave that to the hacks and
years in Germany that saw Hitler's rise tohas-beens. I'm going to do my best to teach
power and a decimation of a culture almost asthis concept of artistic aesthetics to other
old as humanity's recorded existence.I havetalented artists so that they too may find
long asked why when thinking about thethat thorny and weeded path inside themselves
Holocaust. This is a very hard questionthat will take them to the platinum crusted
because you are essentially asking for a sumdiamond that waits for them within.Joshua
value of millions of peoples' lives in termsMinton is President of an Internet publishing
of a historical lesson (and what historicaland business consulting corporation, Family
lesson could be worth the lives of over 150Bliss Enterprises, Inc. He is also author of
million who died in a World War which was thetwo novels, several short stories, poems and
direct result of one man and his dream teamarticles on art, philosophy, politics,
of terror?).But here is my why from Thesociology, science, popular culture,
Holocaust--individual freedom emerged intactbusiness, health insurance administration,
despite the fact that untold masses ofinternet marketing, blogging and personal
individuals were murdered and had their mostsuccess.
sacred identities taken away--their cultural



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