"Anything done with excellence is art."
-- Samuel Timothy Wiford II
Art is Emissary. That means it inspires us with the courage to explore, find, and establish the changes required to make the world a better place, first within us, then in our circles of influence. How art provokes us to courage is one thing.
Making the world a better place also requires an objective, a worthwhile goal. The goodness of our intentions and how we define and measure worth is another thing.
And yet, something more fundamental, precedent to beauty and goodness, determines our ultimate efficacy -- truth. It is easy to overlook many facets of truth amid the competing narratives of life. Some examples include the uniqueness of each person, being present, living authentically, and caring for our souls, to name a few. More broadly, there is the nature of reality.
The reality of our existence as human beings is both spiritual and material. For many people, art stimulates the bridge of the mind, that segment of each person that touches the spiritual and physical realms. "On earth as in heaven" is a common refrain in many religions, but how do we arrive at a better place? Can art provide a bridge?
A life filled with inspiring art stretches the boundaries of the mind and soul, feeding our human propensity for creativity and fueling the faith that new ideas and creations are possible. In some ways, art calls us all to responsibility because it tells us we can create our world. Art, when we are aware of it, raises another question-- what is reality?
If art is emissary, as Wiford Gallery asserts, and it is an emissary to a better world, then "What is reality?" is the primary question when dealing with change, facing challenges, and building a world. Otherwise, we will fail when offering transitional steps toward positive change, prospective solutions to problems, or building blocks for growth.
With this recognition of truth, beauty, and goodness as the trinity of lasting change, with the recognition that anything done with excellence is a form of art, and the understanding that beauty becomes essential to positive change only in the larger context of truth and goodness, the conversation of this blog can now begin.
Together, we can proceed forward to find the building blocks that make us strong from the core, first aligning a person internally (heart, mind, soul, and strength), empowering us in our uniqueness (acknowledging another part of reality) to become creative as is our nature, and so give expression through meaningful service.
This blog reaches beyond traditional norms of truth, such as "honesty" and "telling the truth," to look for truth in its many facets, ultimately calling our readers to a higher awareness of cause and effect. And from that foundation, we invite you to collaborate about how beauty and goodness can rise in all the realms touched by art -- how, through the elevation of truth, we can witness beauty and goodness permeating every part of our lives internally and in all the large and small communities we touch.
This grandiose scheme is possible because, on this journey, the boundaries of art expand into other forms, including various segments of our social systems, such as the economic, financial, and justice systems. Meaningful service will push the boundaries of excellence in every field where art succeeds.
If successful in our quest at Wiford Gallery, then over the coming years and decades, you will witness and share in the growing health of the Wiford Gallery and our people, the betterment of the lives and communities we touch, and the rising standards of the enterprises, industries, states, and nations our services touch. It is a broad conversation, one that spans generations. Art is one entry point, acting like an envoy into each life.
Please join in the conversation. We welcome your questions and insights in the comments section below.
