Imagine

ATC -- Art Trading Card -- Imagine -- Done While at Dale Music

The original Star Trek series ran originally from 1966 through 1969. The culture represented in that series portrayed an idealized socialism later described by John Lennon in the song Imagine. John Lennon was a dreamer. I mean that in a good way. All artists are dreamers by nature. Dreams are what drive the creative spirit forward.

What would actually happen to society if we had essentially free housing, power, and food? Would we choose to further our education? Without the actual need to provide for the basics of life, would we continue to work? I don’t know about other professions, but I do know that artists would continue to create. That’s what we do. Unless we create, a little piece of us dies.

ATC -- Art Trading Card -- Love Ya -- Done While at Dale Music

I sometimes wonder what would have happened differently in my life if I had parents who supported my artistic development. I didn’t have those parents. I had parents who ridiculed my art even when I won awards. I sometimes imagine how much farther I would be in my career as an artist. My grade school art teacher was one of the most profoundly influential esteem builders I had as a child. Mrs. Peterson. Wherever you are, thank you. You kept that dream alive in me for all those years.

With all the cuts in arts funding, I fear for the budding artists growing up. Quash their creativity by learning only those things that up the test scores for the schools. Not much of a goal for a society. Imagine what it would be like if creativity were to be allowed to flourish.

John Lennon -- Imagine

Imagine