Original choice of art career. To use creative talents not towards the purpose of material gain. That my search for meaning and purpose in life led me to reject that pursuit of material sustenance was not the goal in life. Although I didn’t yet know the goal, but this pursuit, that almost all were pursuing—could not be it.
I thought (naively) that artists were (perhaps) pursuing the true goal. For they sought to use their creative abilities to express the beauty of creation, thus an appreciation of the transcendent nature of the world: that something above materialism was present: beauty testifying to a higher order and thus higher purpose. Higher order—in that the wisdom of Hashem is evident in all of creation and appreciated by all (who are not overly downtrodden). Whether recognizing the Creator or not (May Hashem have mercy) nevertheless, awe of the creation’s beauty is spiritual (above physical concerns).
Also the creativity in man, himself, per se, points to his spiritual nature, for creativity is not bound to only physical concerns, rather pure artistic creativity (for the sake of art alone) is spiritual pursuit, unconcerned with physical necessity, only concerned with pondering understanding and expressing the nature of man’s condition, thus a search for purpose and truth.
featured image:
וצדיק באמונתו יחי’
(חבקוק ב’:ד’)
The Righteous live on Emunah
(Habakuk 2:4)
Oil on canvas
ציור שמן על קנבס
תשע”ט
40 cm. x 40 cm.