Artists of today – architects of tomorrow – standing firm in our belief in individuality, freedom, and the right to express our artistry, we demand that the old art – dad’s rock, grandma’s pop, and the rest of it – be permanently shelved in the archive of human history. They had their time. This is ours.
And when our time passes, we shall not resent it. We will allow our art to be shelved as well and let new artists emerge. Art that refuses to move becomes a fossil. Our art is not here to become a museum piece.
In the meantime, we assert our importance over the casual content spread through mainstream media channels. We know that true art exists on its own terms – without regard for social cohesion points, stream counts, algorithms, or charts. For metrics measure distribution. They do not measure meaning.
We assert our freedom to use any means, tools, and forms when creating our art – because art is not repetition of what has already been done. It is invention and reinvention. It is something new, something different, something that challenges norms, forms, customs, and, in general, the status quo.
Art does not live in stagnation. Art lives in movement. In change. And we – the artists of today – are that change which will define tomorrow.
This is not a slap in the face of public taste. For public taste is a mere reflection of mainstream media standards. Repeated enough, anything starts to feel normal. That does not make it essential.
Therefore, in art, “I” is more important than “We”. “I” is individuality – the source of direction, the origin of change – unrestricted and unapologetic. Without the uncompromising individual, there is no real collective worth speaking of.
We uphold complete and total freedom of art from social norms, political agendas, corporate interests, and pre-existing artistic forms. History may influence us. Existing forms may inform us. But they shall not limit us. They remain reference points – nothing more – and only if we choose to reference them.
Art, in itself, is the expression of freedom – the freedom to think, to create, to experiment, to disrupt, even to destroy. It is about telling our own story the way we decide it should be told – unedited and uncensored.
There is no freedom without art. And there is no art without freedom.
Hereby, we assert our freedom – and yours as well. Even if you do not wish to claim it.
Permission Notice:
You are welcome to copy, share, and distribute this manifesto, provided that the original source is credited and a link to the original publication is included. Minor modifications, formatting changes, translations, and adaptations are permitted without prior permission, as long as the source remains clearly referenced.
The companion song may be freely streamed and downloaded from the author's website for personal use. Redistribution of the song, modified or unmodified, is not permitted without prior permission.
Original source: https://singingofthesoul.com/singing-of-the-soul-music-blog