[ About Me ]
Cultural Exchange Advocate? … What the?!?!
So, why do I do this? The only way to answer that question is to ask another question. Why do humans create? Humans have always been blessed, and in some cases cursed, with the need to express themselves. They won't, or perhaps they can't, just sit quietly and float on until death comes calling. They whistle, they hum, they paint, they write, they make fancy clothing and so on. But why?
As I walk through my life, I constantly search for reasons to continue living. Sometimes diving into the deep end of my own mind to fish for personal justification. Sometimes I search outwardly. I need to believe that there is inspiration to be found in the people around me. This has proven to be quite gratifying because there in lies what stirs my soul, inspires my mind and flutters my heart.
My mission (if I may be so bold as to even consider myself on a mission) is not to judge the work or criticize the artist. We have enough of that kind of thing whirling around from day to day. Instead, I get a great deal of joy and satisfaction in sharing my discoveries with others. To me there is no greater validation of one's work than the recognition of media and public alike. As long as integrity is not denied for the sake of social acceptance or critical acclaim, then I will continue to propagate.
While there are many opinions, including my own, which try to explain what makes a piece of work good or bad, there is ultimately no doubt that what makes the true art of creative expression magical is the inherent honesty embedded within. This is what I search for.
Then came the notion that everyone deserves a title. Not as a way to define a career level, but to describe the individual person. Since I very much enjoy and support the exchange of creative ideas and cultural tendencies my obvious choice was "Cultural Exchange Advocate".
Give it a try. Look deep within yourself. What is it that makes you tick? What inspires you to get out of bed, to breath, to live? Once you find it, validate it with a title.
Cheers,
Stephen