My idea of being an artist is that I can be someone who helps someone tap into their own feelings as well as express themselves as clearly as they can. That’s what I feel that art does and I feel that expression is one of the main purposes of art, along with teaching and inner soul awakening. I am a dancer and I think my artistic vantage point on the world is that I as a mover can use my body to portray certain images and elicit certain feelings out of others. I as a human am portraying what another human may feel that may not have the words to properly express it. If someone is watching me dance or they are dancing with me, our bodies are connecting, and we are both portraying the emotions we want to, it can be quite the intimate and powerful experience. I also am a singer as well and I feel that both music and song and the voice that can create both music and song are all very important as well in self expression. The idea of art and the artist I am are all centered around freedom for me. The freedom to create and express whatever is on your mind. There is never any right or wrong answer, especially when it comes to movement, because it can be analysed in so many different ways. My vantage point is that I am able to express myself through movement, and through that I connect with humans easily and I always need to remind myself how grateful and lucky I am to be able to move the way that I do, because not everybody has that same opportunity, so I take that opportunity in stride and really put a lot of my time and energy into moving and using song-and-dance as a medium to express myself as well as help others express themselves.
The ten most important values that I would defend as an artist are:
- Artists should never be afraid to express themselves or what they are feeling inside of them for fear of feeling isolated or misunderstood.
- Everybody can feel isolated at times, but art is what brings people together.
- Art should never be forced. If it happens naturally, it should be fun and rewarding.
- Everyone and anyone can be an artist in any medium that they choose.
- Art should be inclusive to all who participate in it.
- Art is both a means of self expression and an educational tool.
- Artists should celebrate each other’s works and never try to tell others that their art is incorrect or not up to par.
- Art in any form is beautiful and each form should be valued and appreciated equally. One form is never better than another.
- Age and experience does not define the artist. Someone who is young can have the just as wonderful a creation as someone who has been in the art field for many years.
- Art is love and love is art.
