Two years ago I asked myself the question “should one always be true to your own Self, regardless of the externalities?” The reason for that enquiry then was that I was in the process of creating something really innovative and something I truly believed in. However, it wasn’t quite working out and it would’ve been a long, hard and risky climb to actually make it work. At that stage, I did not have the luxury of time or risk. So I gave it up, but consoled myself that maybe it’ll happen some other time. I also decided to still stick to my ideologies and beliefs of only doing what is beyond the ordinary, rather than succumbing to external pressures. Being true to your own Self is what will make the real difference, I told myself. Over the past two years, I have engaged in this enquiry many times, more so now than ever, and the responses I have received vary across the spectrum. Some say “absolutely – never compromise on your ideologies and what you believe in, regardless of what others say or do, and regardless of what’s happening in the external world”. Then there are others who say one has to be flexible in life – operate under a broad framework while adjusting to meet the demands imposed by the external world, so if you have to compromise for a little while, so be it. Finally there are some who say, “be practical – operate from the real world only – do what is required, even if it’s something that you don’t believe in.” I had concluded that the flexible approach is what works best and that’s how one should be. But my recent excursions into art and music have made me change my mind. While reading Julia Cameron’s famous creativity unblocking book, “The Artist’s Way”, I reallised the importance of nurturing and feeding the artist within. Anything misaligned with what that artist needs to flourish will only result in frustration and lack of fulfillment. My musical inclination has changed quite dramatically over the years and I listen now mostly to progressive, experimental, textural, rock influenced soundscapes. One of the artists that I really admire is Steven Wilson. They say that he is an increasingly rare artist who works with music and media out of love and not for fame and fortune, persisting in making art on his own terms in a world where ‘throw away’ mentality is increasingly becoming the norm. Steven quoted in an interview to MTV news, “My fear is that the current generation of kids who’re being born into this information revolution, growing up with the Internet, cell phones, iPods, this download culture, ‘American Idol,’ reality TV, prescription drugs, PlayStations — all of these things kind of distract people from what’s important about life, which is to develop a sense of curiosity about what’s out there.” It’s this curiosity that takes the artist around the world to find inspiration to create and record his music. Now, Steven may not be in the mainstream, but he has an iconic fan following and fans love him because he has stayed true to himself. So from a flexible approach, I’ve once again shifted my view back to what it was two years ago: being true to your own Self, in all circumstances, regardless of what’s happening externally, is all what matters in the long run.
Updated: embedding a short video clip from Steven’s upcoming documentary film (releasing Summer 2009) – “Insurgentes”
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