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July 30, 2004
What's Currently Inspiring Me?... Part X
"As a producer of art I think I'm mostly inspired by the negative or that which I perceive as being so. The nervous tension of damaged human spirits interacting . This sense I have that people desire something deeper but are paralyzed by their insecurities and instead cling to shallow signifiers of human worth such as the religious following of fashion trends and the acquisition of status symbols and money. I'm inspired to action by the existence of so much racism and xenophobia in the world. I see a lack of warmth in the way that people deal with each other and am guilty of that stoic or turtle shell defense system myself, and it feels really shitty. I'm inspired by what I see as the arrogance of different tribes of humans believing that they are able to define the divine, and worse, believing that their way of honoring god is the only way, to the point that they will get violent about it. Enlightenment? Sounds like endarkenment to me. These things inspire me to counter with something visually engaging that hopefully hints at the possibility of humans collectively realizing a more spiritually enriching life. I try to visually express a little honesty, compassion, vulnerability, understanding, generosity, etc., and hope that viewers might carry that warmth with them and somehow pass it on.As far as being inspired spiritually, my girlfriend and I just got back from a two week roadtrip through Minnesota, The Dakotas, Wyoming & Montana, and aside from all the American flags on SUVs and some of the scary conversations I overheard in diners where people said things like "We have to support our president, no matter what.", I saw some incredibly beautiful landscape and occurences of nature that simultaneously excited and calmed my insides. I'm trying to keep that energy with me here in Chicago but the city isn't really having it. I'm already feeling the city-life tension back in my shoulders."... Christopher Tavares Silva
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