Generally speaking, if people ask me why I make art, I can usually come up with some sort of evasive smartass non-answer such as, "Because I didn't make the cut for America's Next Top Model." The truth is evident in such a response, because I don't really know, but I suspect that it has something to do with the fact that I don't know how to handle myself in a world of absurdity, and art is good therapy.
I don't really like to use the word art as I'm still not quite sure what it means. I know that it means being creative, and I like to create things. I know that it has something to do with reaching out for some kind of transcendence and perhaps permanence. I know that it means seeking out some kind of truth. I think it is a way to make sense of an overwhelming, stupid world.
I have struggled with this question for most of my life. There has always been a nagging doubt that while there is suffering in the world, perhaps it is incredibly selfish and indulgent to spend my time creating things that don't help alleviate suffering. I still have not answered the question for myself, but I like to think that before I am done, I will find a way to create things that mean something to someone. While it might not be equivalent to the work of a Red Cross volunteer or a public defense lawyer, I hope that my creative efforts in some way leave the world a better place than I found it.
JR Gualtieri