MindTrek: Relating a World
Bless the soul who’s lost beyond its land, bearing the task of teacher.
Every seven years our bodies renew themselves entirely by generating and circulating new cells and eliminating dead ones. Dub it a rebirth if you’re feeling existentialist. To date, I’ve experienced this rebirth three times and I must say, each of them can be remembered with notable milestones, to put it cheerily. With less than two years to go before my next “rebirth”, I wonder what is in store for me at 28.
While contemplating the thought that bore this post, I learned that nothing I could imagine would be the same in this realm as it were in my mind. Simple idea, right? Sort of. Until you try to apply it. The curse of the ever-changing idealist. What stumps the creative with a busy life is that the imagination can be so vivid and so captivating that it really does provide a sanctuary and a hell.
Introducing the impossible task: (re)Creating a world that exists independent of the elements of this one and translating it into a relatable atmosphere that can be experienced and appreciated. It’s of no choice to the artist because without this translation we’d live in agony, torn between both (all) worlds, having to forsake one (some) for the other. Brings to mind the parable of Superman, how Krypton was destroyed and the Kryptonians devoted themselves to finding a host to rebuild the planet upon.
(re)Creators are struggling souls looking for a canvas, a base, a frame (of mind and/or reference) to rebuild their hidden worlds. The demands of the world we all share collectively tend to supersede the growing needs of the worlds that we cherish. The weapon of resistance to this supersession can be found in art. Art is the science of relating your world to others so it continues to thrive and live in the minds of all it encounters and envelops. I (re)create my world through words. Simply complicated. Rewarding when it’s achieved.
Much like (re)creating a world and relating it to others, the process of rebirth is exciting and when you stop and think, you’re (re)creating yourself all the time! It’s true that you learn something new everyday. But what’s also true is that you meet someone new everyday. YOU. You are ever-changing and growing. No matter how seemingly small or insignificant the detail may be, you are forever going to learn something new about yourself. Even if it seems like old information. The fact that it’s happening on a different day, in a different year, perhaps at a different place, is what’s new. You have to find inspiration at the core. So I tell myself In order to develop the skill it takes to relate your world to others, you have to know how to relate to yourself. What new things have you noticed? Old things you thought you’d stopped doing? Things you started to, or stopped believing? What one thing would you change right now if you thought you could? If you didn’t speak your native tongue and you wanted to express yourself, what would you do?
Relating a world is not easy, but heck, even our bodies expel dead cells every seven years. What dead weight can we let go of to make room, space, time… to relate?
KamTrek 