Random Thoughts LXXXV - Art in late-stage capitalism

The art we consume nowadays is often produced by people who are not artists or creative themselves: people who didn't study art; people who didn't spend any time honing their skills or developing their craft... because they have none; people who don't care to educate themselves to develop their own aesthetic. They are people who have the money and/or the connections, but not necessarily artists. 

As a result, we're constantly fed art that was created with the purpose of maximizing profit. An artist craves to create. It is part of who they are. It is their life. It's not about making money. It's not about selling. Of course, they have to make a living, and they should be paid for their time, skill and materials. I understand. But, the initial reasoning behind becoming an artist is that you are an artist. That's the only way you can be. You have that innate need to express yourself via your creations. Sometimes, it's a compulsion even.

Since those who control the majority of the art we are exposed to are not innovative or creative, the art becomes part of fast food culture. No substance: quantity over quality. We must consume non stop. No time to reflect on the art, no time to analyse. No reason to: there is nothing to see beyond surface level. They don't care to challenge us. Their only concern is profit, and thus, they follow a safe formula to achieve it.

That approach skews our perception of what art and creativity can be. We didn't get the chance to develop our own personal aesthetic. Hence, we adopt whatever aesthetic we have been continuously exposed to as our own. We have been brainwashed to admire and accept bad quality art. It's all we know. Familiarity creates comfort. We end up asking for more of that which feels familiar. We are trapped in a sad cycle of being fed what we ask for, but then, we ask for what we have been already fed. And that applies to all forms of art, from literature to music, from film to painting etc...

The responsibility to break the cycle lies within ourselves, as we can't depend on those whose main motive is profit. The world we live in is a chaotic place; there is too much of everything. It can be difficult to navigate through the constant exposure to bad 'art.' It takes time, strong will and perseverance. Thankfully, the result is very well worth it. 

My hair. –Allow me to be sad–

 Today, something I dreaded happened. I had to have my hair cut short, very short. Ear length.

Now, I know that may not sound negative or of importance to you, but it for sure has been devastating to me.
Yesterday, I woke up with two terrible hair knots on each side of my head, and despite managing to untangle one them (losing a terrifying amount of hair in the process), even after 5 hours of trying almost everything you can think of, I gave up on the second one. So, I booked an appointment with a hairdresser for the next day (today).

"Kim, there's people that are dying" is a phrase that was turned into a meme, when Kim Kardashian was crying for losing her diamond earring into the ocean –it was found in the end. I'm not saying my hair is worth as much as a diamond earring, after all, it wasn't extracted from the earth using the exploitation of underprivileged humans, spreading false propaganda of rarity of said material to produce an overpriced product. What I am saying though, is that I know there's more important things than hairs, or my hair. Global warming, modern slavery, war, famine, poverty, social issues, terminal disease, heartbreak etc. etc. ... Hell, I myself suffer from things that are considered more severe than having to cut one's hair short.
Having said that, my feelings aren't any different. It is a loss, a loss I'm mourning for. I'm sad, and I feel shitty. To me, having longer hair was a choice I didn't take lightly. It's not easy to manage long curly hair, and I have cursed in frustration times aplenty, spending hours untangling it. The shortest I had ever gone was shoulder length, even when I had parts of my head shaved. Having longer hair made me feel feminine, playful, free; it allowed me to try different hairstyles, and it had become part of my identity. As a plus size woman (bbw, fat or however you want to call it) I felt that long hair framed my face better and complimented my figure. Moreover, being neurodivergent, when I felt overwhelmed –which is very often– I could always hide behind my hair.

As I mentioned on my Instagram story: I recognise that since I'm sharing things publicly, that can be misconstrued as an invitation for others to chime in with their two cents regarding my situation.
It is not an invitation.
The way being forced to have short hair makes me feel is not negotiable and it is not to be diminished because "there's worse happening in the world." I am painfully aware of the fucked-up-ness that is going on in the world, but I don't see how prohibiting me from expressing –or feeling– my feelings is going to help with that. I did receive wonderful messages from people showing empathy towards my sorrow; I truly appreciate those. I also received messages from people judging my reaction or shoving toxic positivity down my throat. I did not appreciate those.
My feelings don't exist to be judged by you. No one is forcing you to follow my journey on any social media platform, you choose to do so by your own accord. You see the kind of person that I am: passionate, open, creative; I rant, I share my thoughts and feelings. I'm an artist, a mental health advocate, neurodivergent. If these things upset you, or make you feel uncomfortable, an unfollow is a click away. However, if you try to dictate how I should feel, how I should react to these things which hurt me –no matter how small they are (to you): I will not tolerate it.

There is a lot to be said about a society that won't allow people to experience sadness even momentarily; a society always trying to distract us from feeling deeply, thinking deeply, and in general, a society emerged in superficial distractions, but this article was supposed to be about my hair. Or was it? 

Dear anti-vegans

So a couple of days ago I saw someone sharing an article that basically says:
"I eat meat and I don't feel guilty about it because being vegan doesn't make a difference."

Well well, look at how people are trying to get rid of their guilty conscious...

Fun fact, my comments were deleted because the person who posted the article had no argument against mine. Just trying to cover up for their guilt and get justification from other meat eaters with guilty conscious.

The article went on to attack vegans, as if vegans are humanity and environment's enemy.

Guess again: Wrong.

Vegans for the biggest part are a lot more eco-friendly and eco-conscious than most of us.
They care about ethical consumerism in all products.

The article said because rainforests are destroyed vegans are contributing to that due to their consumption.

First of all, if you buy ethically produced products and avoid palm oil (or unethically produced one), you have good chances of not contributing to rainforest destruction.

Secondly, we know that it's hard to be 100% eco-friendly. It's very very hard if not impossible (especially in big cities).

I've never seen a vegan make such a statement anyway.

I don't get why vegans are targeted by meat eaters, when it's so fucking obvious that when you eat meat you actually have contributed to animals' deaths (and possibly torture).

If you're vegan or vegetarian, at least you don't eat corpses, so you didn't contribute to the death of those said animals.

And that's a pretty big deal to me.

To say that you love animals, but then eat them... isn't that hypocrisy? Unless you support speciesism (which means you discriminate towards certain species).

If you really care about the environment and animals, maybe you should get a lesson or two from vegans instead of attacking them. Vegans aren't the fucking enemy. Those who torture animals and fuck up the environment and the ecosystem are.
Know your enemies and don't be manipulated sheep turning against people who aren't to be blamed.

If you want to eat meat, fine. But don't pretend you're not contributing to animal murder (and possibly torture). Admit you don't give a fuck and enjoy your steak.

I personally don't attack people for eating meat, regardless of my disagreement to it. It's your choice and you have to live with it. But don't bullshit me. If you don't feel guilty good for you.
However, if you feel guilty and try to justify your actions by making stupid and illogical excuses I ain't tolerating that crap.
You can lie to yourself, but keep it to yourself and don't attack us who don't eat meat.
Spewing all those lies that not eating meat doesn't make a difference. Of course it makes a fucking difference. Google it and see how many animals are saved per year by one person being vegan/vegetarian.

Bottom line is, do whatever the fuck you want to do and leave other people alone.

If you want to save the environment be an ethical consumer. If you don't care don't be.

Do you and let others do them.


Peace.

Random Thoughts XXXXIII

Wondering if all those people supporting the brand Chanel know how Coco came to make her fortune and what kind of relations she had with the Nazis. Is fashion more important than morals and ethos? Would you buy products created by a company owned by a pedophile for example? Where does consumerism stop -if at any point- and where does free and critical thinking begin?

The machine

So I was thinking the other day about the machine.
The machine being capitalism, combined with patriarchy, consumerism, and all those negative schools of thought that make the world we live in extremely uncomfortable for me.

But then I had an epiphany. We created the machine. We have created all those things that make this world be significantly shitty.
We, human race, created capitalism for example. And even though it was created with good (?) intentions it became corrupt, and evolved into a monster. 
And that monster took control.

The system is in control of the majority of people on this planet. Very few chose to obey the system because it benefits them or because they're scared. The rest are controlled. Mindless little sheep without consciousness, intellectual zombies. 

So, the machine has taken control. Since the system is part of the machine and it keeps it going. 

We created something to better our lives (supposedly) and we managed somehow to give it its own consciousness and power, which in the end resulted in us being under control.

It's ridiculous. 

However, the power of the machine is tremendous at this point. To the extend where it's extremely hard to escape being part of the machine. But then again, if you succumb to the machine and play by its rules, whilst trying to deceive the zombies that are controlled by the machine, you can be extremely successful. 

Of course that means you have no morals. But maybe you do, since morals are subjective. 

Who cares? When your survival is on the line, you do you. 

Or not? 

The eternal dilemma. You or the world? What matters the most?

Personal against global.

If I started studying philosophy maybe I'd have had an answer to my internal battle already. Maybe not.

Well, I just woke up so that's enough thinking for now. 

Good morning.

Random Thoughts XXXIX

You scrolling through your facebook timeline is just another form of consumerism.