Nepotism? Or maybe not?
It's easy for me to fall into the trap of feeling sorry for myself and thusly envious of others.
In my small circle of the art world, making site specific public art, or as my friend refers to it as: social practice (which literally makes me feel like my practice is comparable to Theaster Gates), or even in a lager sense of trying to "make it" or "make sense" of the art world is let's say full of hoops to jump.
At this point, I reckon I am rather fit.
It's like doing HIIT for the past decade.
🏃♀️Surely if not fit, dexterous or flexible or pliable or porous.. wait I'm throwing out non applicable adjectives... is my current fit level.
I mean come on, I am after all on BBG week 42 💪🏼
When I see red, nope not rose, I do mean red I scream very loudly in my head NEPOTISM over and over and over again.
Obvs people move ahead because of connections. 🙄
Duh 🤷♀️
Isn't it?
Mental Shift
The question I've recently started asking is:
Is it nepotism or are we supporting each other.
As I navigate through my research and read the words tolerance diversity repeatedly (the specific usage in the academic article refers to the democratisation of class more specifically within the arts) I am confronted by my training.
Am I an elitist because well,
1: because the arts are commonly mistaken to be
OR
2: because the schools I have been trained in?
OR
3: maybe I'm not elitist at all?
Have I been taught to be inclusive or have I been taught to distinguish between "good" and "bad" art.
Where is that line?
More importantly, where is my line?
The other word which seems to pop up is value.
As my research is based on the value the creative class brings to the table, which hopefully will be regenerate and preserve the arts and cultural sector, I ought to be asking myself:
do I value tolerance diversity or am I creating a more defined segregation of tolerance.
I would like to be believe that I am and I am capable of valuing tolerance as well building higher tolerance in diversity.
And so through my Radical Humanist lens of believing that the world is full of potential, I know that when groupings of similarly minded communities or groups whom are close knit: it's relationship building and not nepotism.
We are doing our part in supporting each other in this small small community of the arts. Because really it's tough as it is and if we don't support each other, who can we count on?
In conclusion: It is definitely the basis of supporting each other within the creative class and NOT nepotism.
Task: Try hard af to believe that on days when you just don't.
