Damon's Account

Being called a philosopher is closer to who I am than being an artist, because I do it more and I am able to do it in a lot more places. I do not need a canvas(or sketch pad), nor even write anything to do philosophy, because I can carry on a philosophical work in my converstations and reflections within upon my thoughts. Art requires a canvas to be completed, whereas a philosophical thought can be completed whether I jot it down or not.

This is why I am more apt to call myself a philosopher than an artist, because, I can do philosophy without doing my art, yet, I do not do my art without also doing philosophy.

Being a philosopher is more than simply informing another of how something works. We call those engineers. Nor is being a philosopher just being able to describe things. Such are poets. A philosopher is also not someone who conducts and observes experiements, such as a scientist; if done with thought, a pyschologist. Philosophers are not required to make thing easier to comprehend and understand, this is for teachers. And I can cover many more fields, yet, the point here is that a Philosopher can be a teacher, yet, few teaches are philosophers. A philosopher can be an engineer, yet, few engineers are philosophers.

Too often we call another a philosopher when they are actually a great teacher, or engineer, or even poet and not a philosopher at all.

Obviously this leads to the question of the philosopher and how such differs from other titles we hoist upon ourselves, yet, this entry concerns who I am...and who I am is a philosopher.

Posted by Damon at 03:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I enjoyed these 4 philosophers the most: Ludwig Wittgenstein, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Frederich Nietzsche and Martin Heidegger. More for what they attempted to do philosophically than what they actually did.

Each felt they were at a junture of how we had once thought and ought to think in the future, and each made an attempt to think anew and provide a bridge to this new type of thinking on things. I am certain they did not demonstrate fully this new thinking(Ludwig came the closest, while Krishnamurti only did so when asked a question rfom the thinking of old); yet, it is this striving to "perfect" our thinking and not let ourselves carry on as before that impressed me most...their passion and fortitude to push philosophy toward something greater rather than offer another  tangent which would dead end into irrelevance is a guiding principle that I keep in mind as I philosophy toward my philosophy.

How much I am influenced philosophically by any of these four as I do my philosophy remains to be deconstructed, yet, from the inside within me, I see huge differences in the overall picture, yet, similarities in the framework.

I also recognize that whenever I read the works of these four, I am able to access my own philosophical channel and hear my own thoughts come together philosophically, even if such does not harmonize much with what I just read.

In that way, these four challenge me to think beyond what I have been taught is me by my peers, society, even my own self, and for that, I am greatly appreciated of their work.

Posted by Damon at 02:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

WHO AM I?

AN ARTIST? Unless I am engaging in an actual art project, I do not consider myself to be an artist. I realize that I will call myself an artist and smile along with others when they call me an artist, yet, only when I am doing the art do I truly feel I am earning that title.

And when I am doing the art, I do not stop to think and say to myself, now I am an artist. I am completely consumed by the art I am summoning forth...whereby the painting becomes an extention of my identity for that period of awarenss for me...I might say, I am this painting more so than declare myself as an artist.

My art, then, is a process of self-awareness...like the shaman who goes into a trance to see a vision, I do the same through color and design, forging unity based on logic...the vision I seek is a better vision for my awareness so that I may see within better of myself and the world around me.

Perhaps this is why the art that I do resonates as it does with others on a first glance and continues to do more so as they become aware of what the art depicts...a transition from an unknowing state to a knowing one, whereby we are gently pushed along by the most basic of symbolic forms of color and shapes to a greater self within...so, am I an artist? Not as I sit here and type this, yet, I am when I pick up my pencil and begin to sketch out the next painting all the way through to the last drop of paint on the canvas.

If you really want to know what I think as an artist, ask me when I am doing art...otherwise, you will get this, a journalist looking back on an event attempting to take a snapshot in time of what is passing by...damon

Posted by Damon at 08:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)