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Day Three Hundred and Twenty-Four:  Wed

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about self-preservation.  That might sound bizarre, and to some it might seem like being an arts student I could be quite involved in my own self-preservation, as I continue to write blogs and aim to make theatre and put myself out there for my own benefit…or it would seem.  The thing about art is that as much as you do it to satisfy yourself you do it more to impact other people.  If anything I hope that at least one of these posts has moved someone to make a change or just…moved them at all.  I may write for myself but I write for others too, and that’s important.

But I was thinking during a lecture today about self preservation, and how the purpose of living and the industrial economic structure of our ives is to keep our species going.  People become doctors to aid in the health of citizens and cure the diseases that hinder their chances of living a long life.  People who study food science learn about how to better prolong our lives through eating better and more fruitful things to keep our species going.  Environmental studies talks about how to protect our planet…  Why?  So that we can live on it longer.  Everything, it seems, is about making our future better.  And that is fantastic, don’t get me wrong, but I hate it when I get a comment from someone who isn’t in the arts about me doing something that I am passionate about, like theatre for example, because it doesn’t contribute to the betterment of the world, and is only involved in myself.

First, that’s bullshit.  I am involved with my own work for a small percentage of my time here in my English major especially.  It may be about my analysis, but it is more about what my analysis says about the greater structure of humanity, and how is that any different from someone studying the environment and how to make it better?  I become a better person by understanding humanity, therefore aiding in the prolongment of it.

But what gets to me is that art, the things that I learn in theatre, for example, contribute to the greater good of humanity.  Theatre is alive, and is identifiable, and is not always for entertainment.  It is for a thought-provoking moment in order to reflect upon humanity and ultimately yourself.  I love a good Jersey Boys performance just as much as the next person, but it still says things about humanity between the show tunes, trust me.  I see the humanities less about self indulgence and doing something (arguably) “easy” and more about understanding an emerging humanity-based thought process:  the community.

This might have become convoluted, I’m sorry.

But really what I am trying to get at is what I do is just as important as someone in biology or economics.  I may not be on wWall Street or finding a cure for cancer, but I am contributing to the grand scheme of people trying to connect with other people.  What is the meaning of life, you ask?  The answer varies from individual to individual.  Some people say wealth, power, success, some would say love, family, material, and others might say it’s experiencing life in a vibrant way.  Whatever you see the meaning of life as, it’s hard to get around in this world without appreciating other people’s work and thoughts.

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