Meiyo — the Japanese Kanji for the word “Honor.”
“Simple, genuine goodness is the best capital to found the business of this life upon. It lasts when fame and money fail, and is the only riches we can take out of this world with us.” ― Louisa May Alcott, Writer
Creative living begins, first and foremost, with HONOR.
Honor is almost an outdated concept these days. Expressions like “You know this isn’t personal “or that “it’s just business” are commonplace now. Making profits off family, exploiting employees, lying to colleagues/clients, and any/all such acts of questionable ethics and substandard behavior violates the social contract we have with each other. And what’s extra sad about it all is that we’re all so numb to its prevalence that we casually accept this sorry state of affairs. The other often used expression “it is what it is” says it all doesn’t it? But perhaps honor has always been a rather rare commodity. For it takes great moral character and courage to live honorably and such traits require great tenacity to develop.
“Our own heart, and not other men’s opinions, forms our true honor.” ― Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Poet
But honor isn’t just a concept of glory and distinction or a position of privilege. It’s much more than that. Viewed in such limited fashion, the word stands merely as a noun; a thing to achieve, to hold and display. This is NOT what we’re talking about here. Honor, to me, is a verb — an act of respect towards things, including other people (such as elders) but also oneself. It’s a proactive gesture that admires dignity and truth. It’s also a call towards fulfillment and responsibility by living up to an agreement we have with ourselves and the universe.
Performance artist Marina Abramovic is one of the boldest and most courageous creatives in the past century often flirting with dangerous and controversial experiments with live audiences. She honors her truth with her dedication, and thus honors her craft.
a) Respecting Truth & Your Truth
In the artist’s efforts to create, we search for truth. What and how we see forms the basis of what we ultimately express. And we always try to see and understand the world in the most objective and unbiased light. What we find and present might look different from others but it’s our truth. And for that kind of honesty, the artist must always try to see first himself, just as objectively. Therefore, to live and act honorably means first finding out who we are and why. Only then can we proceed with the what, when and how.
“… choice implies responsibility to one’s conscience, and, in the conscience of the artist, the Truth of Art is foremost.” — Mark Rothko, Artist
Who am I?
This is a question that can take up to a lifetime to answer. But at some point in life, we all can sense whether the direction we’re heading is in line with our truth, our destiny. It means digging deep into our past, analyzing attentively the present, and then making the bold intuitive step towards realizing our future as it continues to unfold. Are we put on this earth to be artists or doctors? Are we choosing out of passion and purpose or status and security? (Remember, nobody wants a surgeon who does it strictly for the money either.) To be an artist — to realize that one MUST BE an artist — is a frightening truth to deal with but it can also be one that is incredibly liberating.
“I suppose the only word for me, when the chips are down, is that I am an artist.” — James Baldwin, Writer
James Baldwin. This magnificent thinker and writer was a daring figure of the 20th century who boldly explored the challenges and complexities of our social fabric. Image from the film, I Am Not Your Negro by Magnolia Pictures.
But do I have what it takes?
All of us deal with doubt. And by partaking in the creative fields such as art, music, literature or drama, the risks to our mental and physical survival are significantly magnified. There is REAL justification for the fears our parents/concerned elders had over our choosing to be artists. So it’s only natural that the issue of talent is brought into question, but the truth is, creative ability, especially in the arts, is especially difficult to assess. And then there’s the timing of it. This isn’t competitive sports where the limitations of an aging body weigh heavily against the late bloomer. In art, no such barriers exists. If we discover that art is our calling, then the next step is to find the necessary means to go about our business of being an artist.
“Life is short, and it is sinful to waste one’s time. They say I’m active. But being active is still wasting one’s time, if in doing one loses oneself.” — Albert Camus, Writer
Artist Carmen Herrara seen here working in her studio is now 102 years old. Ignored almost her entire career as a modern expressionist painter (during a time of male bias/dominance of the market), she only had her first show at 89 years of age. Her work is now highly valued and exhibits world wide. (photograph by Jacob Schmidt)
b) Taking Responsibility:
The real question, therefore, isn’t whether we’ve got the abilities, but whether we can develop the mental and emotional fortitude to battle thru the inevitable challenges. Once we choose to be artists, a contract with the universe is formed and we mustn’t violate it no matter how hard it gets. If you choose this career out of love, then be a good and faithful lover.
“To labor in the arts for any reason other than love is prostitution.” — Steven Pressfield, The War of Art.
Once such a deal is made, one’s way of life becomes defined and limited, narrowed down to a smaller road by which to travel. And this is good. For making decisions — choosing among the bounty of options — is the hardest thing to do in art or life, and this IS the biggest one you can make — to know yourself and live your truth. But once on that path, we must respect the principles of what it takes to be a real artist. To honor the craft and its tools necessitates also the obedience to its laws such as hard work. The road you take becomes your house so to speak, and you need to keep it clean, orderly and functional. And for the artist, that means having a clear and focused mind that’s dedicated to the accumulation of knowledge, skill development and an ongoing commitment to seeing truth in yourself and the world around you. We must learn also to accept this truth; that we are responsible for everything that happens to us.
“I don’t believe in circumstances” — George Bernard Shaw, Playwright.
As hard as this world is, there lies a great truth about taking charge of our own lives. We cannot and must not give up the authority over how we are to conduct ourselves day in and day out. This means NEVER compromising our moral principles or our artistic integrity. And it’s much harder to do than people realize. Our society in its many shapes and forms preaches conformity in the guise of equality and social civility. We easily forget that a truly kind and mature society is one where individuals can be themselves and respect each other and their choices, and we don’t need labels to do that. We all know it’s all too easy to compromise our principles for the short-term — to be liked, to be accepted and to be “successful.” But only when we fulfill that challenging yet worthwhile commitment to truth can we possibly set forth an example for others to do the same.
From the beautiful short film “The Man Who Planted Trees.” Frederic Back is one of my favorite animation artists of all time. He was completely devoted to fulfilling his contract with the universe. With each frame painted by hand, he released his love for the earth and his art onto film.
By being true to ourselves, our work — which reflects that same honesty — solidifies in its earnestness and becomes timeless.
“Creative work bridges time because the energy of art is not time-bound. If it were we should have no interest in the art of the past except as history or documentary. But our interest in art is our interest in ourselves both now and always. Here and forever. There is a sense of the human spirit as always existing. This makes our own death bearable.” — Jeanette Winterson, Writer
Summary:
The fundamental rule of Honor is this: (a) find out (decide) who you’re supposed to be (find your truth), then (b) go be that person (fulfill that truth).
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