Tl'azt'en Artist Damian John

Blog

What's hidden in there

Part of the reason I love art is it's mystery. Each new project mysteriously appears. Sometimes in dreams, sometimes in flashes of inspiration, in conversation, in poetry, in wild space, in emotional space, in outer space! It is almost impossible to pinpoint the origin of certain projects. They come on whispers and hunches and glimpses of things.

Translating these messages into something that can be read is the trick and the craft of my being an artist. Each individual artist could have the same whispering muse show up late on a summer's eve as they watch children play with the dandelions, yet each would fashion the message differently.

This is incredibly beautiful and speaks to our unique voice in the whole of the universe. No one can craft what you do, speak the message you speak, translate like you do. So, it increases the mysterious quality of art I love so much. First there is the message. Then there is the translation. And the hardest part for me as an artist is the execution. Can my skillset relay the information I am uncovering in a way that gives it justice. I have both succeeded and failed at this very thing. But even trying to relay this information in a beautiful way feels noble, feels good.

So, I continue to create and listen and watch as the muses dance about my periphery, occasionally gifting me with insight and inspiration. And I encourage everyone to liste, watch, and transcribe these snippets of wonder. What do we have to share with one another? The mystery is grand.

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