Stay Curious
It's not art unless it makes you feel something. Art is subjective in that regard. Looking back through 2024, any creative output connected to my feelings are connected to people – either projects I've created with someone, for someone or because of someone. Sometimes it was just for me...for expression, sabbath or exploration. I love that my circumstance affords me fluidity between career and curiosity; provision and play; job and joy. Being alive is really interesting. I find the experience of it hinges upon your mindset.
Staying curious is the key. Asking questions gets us to the root of why things are the way they are. Somebody once asked me if art had rules. My answer is, “Yes, BUT…”
Yes art has rules. But they’re not meant to be blindly followed. Traffic laws are meant for safety, but if you’re stuck at a red light with a woman who is about to give birth, you look both ways and move right along. The letter of the law was broken, but not the spirit of it. Is it more safe for the baby to be born at a stop light or at the hospital? The red light is the law, but safety is the truth. Moral obligation supersedes legal responsibility.
Whether it’s rules of art, rules of law or rules of life, curiosity is necessary to collect context for making decisions and solving problems more wisely. People who are overly confident and underly curious have been the source of my greatest frustration over the last several years. It’s they who make accusations without all of the information; who make declarations before coming to the table; who enforce the rules ignorant of why they were established. I don’t believe truth is relative, but it is incomplete.
Confidence without curiosity comes out similar to slander; half-truths; misinformation. When we speak “truth” without context, it’s false confidence, and we gut our integrity just to be “right.”
Here’s a list of nefarious acts that society would do well to snuff out in 2025:
Generalizations – Applying a broad statement to a group based on limited evidence.
Misinformation – Spreading incorrect or misleading information, whether intentional or not.
Sarcasm – Using mockery or irony in a way that can distort the truth or mislead.
Half-truths – Presenting only part of the truth to manipulate perception or hide important details.
Hyperbole – Exaggerating facts in a way that misrepresents reality.
Assumptions – Accepting something as true without evidence, leading to potential falsehoods.
Bias – Favoring one side or perspective in a way that misrepresents or distorts the truth.
Confirmation Bias – Selectively presenting evidence that supports a pre-existing belief while ignoring contrary facts.
Conspiracy Theories – Spreading unsubstantiated claims or connecting unrelated events to suggest malicious intent.
Defamation by Implication – Suggesting something harmful without explicitly stating it, leading others to draw negative conclusions.
Character Assassination – Deliberately discrediting someone to damage their reputation.
Selective Omission – Leaving out key facts or details that could change the narrative, misleading others.
Guilt by Association – Implying someone is guilty of wrongdoing based on their connections rather than their actions.
Innuendo – Suggesting something negative indirectly, planting seeds of doubt or suspicion.
Stereotyping – Attributing traits or behaviors to an individual based on assumptions about their group or identity.
Rumor-Mongering – Spreading unverified or harmful gossip that can damage someone's reputation.
False Attribution – Incorrectly attributing statements or actions to someone in order to discredit them.
Misquotation – Taking someone’s words out of context or changing them slightly to twist the original meaning.
Smear Campaigns – Coordinated efforts to spread lies or distortions about a person to ruin their reputation.
Outright Lies – Fabricating false information to mislead or harm someone’s standing.
Each of these destructive tactics erode trust, relationships, and reputations over time.
Confidence without curiosity is justice without JESUS – anger without the anecdote! – indignance without information – righteousness without rightness – hubris without honor – bewilderment without the beattitudes – shortsight without shhhh – fear without faith – posturing without patience – conspiracy without confirmation.
In the coming years, truth will be hard to recognize. I want my creative output to be defined by curiosity. My art will be bold, questioning and collaborative.
So be curious with me. Go play. Ask questions. Find joy.
If you want to create something together in 2025, let’s do it together.