Arts that Leads to Atlantis
We see the most moral controversy in the subject of art and entertainment, and rightly so. It is hard to describe the reactions we have to it, but our artistic likes and dislikes are very important. They show how we feel about human beings and how we feel about our world. What we all prefer in art indicates the future advance or decline of America, and how quickly we can change things.
Everyone’s life should feel like a work of art. Those who seek fulfillment by achieving the best within themselves will wish to experience and express it through every physical sense and their guiding power: our deepest understanding and emotions. We need to bring the deepest meaning of our lives as well as our most passionate expression towards it into our immediate awareness. Since our pursuit of values is lifelong, we need regular spans of time where we can experience a sense of completion—the reward of our values having been achieved. Romantic art satisfies this desire. What is truly ideal? What should we be? What is worth working for and striving towards? Romanticism is a sanctuary for the best within us—where the results of our effort are loved, encouraged, and fostered. Such art gratifies living effort, stylizing every facet of Man and of existence, every kind of thought, every shade of emotion, every shape of detail, and the grace in action of all living things.
A romantic artist shares the reward of his own mental state, revealing his deepest view of our stature and our environment. What he chooses to present in colors, in landscape, in words, in musical harmony, or in form, is what he finds most significant. To the extent that an artist is rational, his work will reflect living values. His style will reflect his intelligence and his skill will reveal the effort he brings to achieve his values.
An irrational artist will be just as passionate about destroying values as we are about enjoying them. History is littered with the distortions of those at odds with existence in every artistic medium. They corrupt beauty, purpose, and discipline in preference to the repulsive, the aimless, and the indefinable. Such artists are made popular by their spiritual equivalents and are tolerated by the rest of us through moral confusion.
Parents have been concerned for eons about the effect rock stars and movie heroes have on our children, and they are right to be concerned. What kids are shown gives them alternatives they wouldn’t otherwise have had, and they can be constructive or destructive. We need to be aware of its moral impact—be it a movie, a video game, or a CD—to counter or underscore its influence. That understanding also reveals the integrity of the businessmen behind the product. It is fascinating to see the exact moral countenance of those whose work you are observing. By acquiring it, when you encounter offensive nonsense, you will never be speechless in this regard again.
Those conscious of the virtue in their own lifestyles can remain aware of this artistic link at all times, allowing romanticism to accent their every endeavor. This fulfillment can be enjoyed any time you look to see that your choices are the right choices. All human ideals have artistic value and emit a sense of glamour; and if you stay true to them, you deserve to bask in the light of this most precious reward.