July 22, 2006

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     Jasper                                      Artist: The Creator


     



    Internet Island Topic Post #15.00


    Is what you do who you are?
    Is what you eat who you are?
    Is what you wear who you are?
    Is what you read or what you watch who you are?
    Is what you think who you are?
    Is what they think who you are?
    Is being on the right team who you are?
    Is what you believe who you are?
    Is what you say who you are?
    Who are you?


     A string of questions such as this is sure to create more questions than answers.  I can say a few absolutes and then a whole lot of paradox.  (what's the plural of paradox?)


    Is being on the right team who you are? 
    Most definately not.  The "right team" is a relative term anyway.  In my mind, clubs and sects exclude and make members feel that they're better and more special than others.  I wonder if there's a serial killers' club??  I don't think they have an organized membership (but who knows?) and they certainly don't seem to have any uniforms that I've seen.  


    Is what they think who you are? 
    That would be a stab in the dark for others to define us, wouldn't it?  It's challenging enough to find truths about myself, real truths that only I can know, without allowing people to define me.  Even if I agreed to allow others to define me, it could not be true definition.  If I believe what others think, I may fulfill their image by acting in certain ways.  But is that who I am?  No.


    I think that the ways that we think, eat, read, speak, believe, and wear can be manifestations of who were are.  Can be.  I don't always act true to myself; I don't eat the things that are best for me, read or watch the things that are good for me. 


    What to wear?  I wear what is comfortable and keeps my body temperature where it needs to be.  At times, I feel like I want to play and say something  through the things that I wear.  Unfortunately, what we wear is used more as a statement to other people.  "Don't judge me, I'll just blend in".  Or, "Don't approach me, I'll hurt you".  Or "I can afford the best so don't approach me if you're beneath me".  Those may or may not be true messages but I'm just throwing some out. 


     So who the hell am I??? 


    I smile at this question because at this point in my life and for some time now, I know that this question is not one that can be defined in words.  It is such a profound and spiritual question.  We can make statements that are true about ourselves and what we like, what we prefer, what we believe, but how can we expect to define a spirit that we can't even see? 


    I think that striving to make art (visual, verbal, musical, performance; any kind of art) is one way that we seek to express the definition.  Real deep striving.  I haven't done any of that yet.  Maybe someday I will.


    Defining the self is like defining love.  Do we know that it exists?  I believe so.   Most of us have experienced it.   Good things happen.  Kindnesses are shown.  Those are actions but what's the motivation? Sometimes love is.  What is love?  Who can define it?  Who am I? At this point in my life, I don't need to define it.  I am. 


     

Comments (9)

  • Dear Lisa,

    Thank you for your recent visit and comment, and for joining the blogring. Here is a link to an article about why I created the Internet Island. Make sure you subscribe to my site so that you can receive Internet Island updates. I write an Island Topic post every two weeks or so. I remember your site. I like your artwork. The gourds with characters from July 9th post are very intereresting and well made. You are quite a fine artist. It looks as if you haven't posted a lot this year, and have just gotten back into the swing of blogging. So, welcome back.

    Your article about who you are is very interesting and honest. There are so many "self help groups" and I always wondered why they were even needed in society. As you say so succinctly, "I am". That's really enough and all we need to know.

    Thanks for joining , and thanks for participating.

    Michael F. Nyiri, poet philosopher, fool

  • great job on this topic:)

  • Hello and Welcome to the Island.  I love your artwork and you did a wonderful job on this topic.  It is a hard one to define for sure.  I like what you said "I am" .  In the end that is all we really need to be sure of isn't it.  Nice to meet you.  Hope you don't mind if I drop by from time to time to say hello.

    Hugs
    Kat

  • I am glad 'you are'- everyday it is a thought provoking question though!-g

  • I agree that it's a tough task, defining oneself, but I believe we are... for a purpose and I have something inside me searching consistently to be sure I find what that is.  It seems to make me look deeply into myself to find who I am so that I can do what I was created to do here.  I don't mean I am distraught at the prospect or that I need to know all at once, and I am painfully aware that as I find a portion of that purpose revealed, I will soon see there is another part to unravel.  That's all OK with me.  The comfort level with where I am and where I will be is higher than it has been for most of my life.  I just want to stay on track and be sure that the One with the plan for my life looks at me smiling at the end of my day.  I am in absolute agreement that what one wears or what group one is a part of is not 'who they are'.

    Good post... and I'm glad you're back a bit more frequently.

    Hugs and prayers,

    Debbie

  • Wonderful post!

  • You are right we can not be defined by manifestations of our being . Those are only manifestations . But  as we cannot say what is love we cannot explain what is our soul . However this last  exists , we feel it . Soul  move body and mind but cannot be grasped and defined .

     You have finely expressed your answers , Lisa .

     Love                   Michel

  • I forgot to say your ceramic " jasp " above is really beautiful and is an illustration of what we speak ..

    Michel

  • Lisa, these are really important questions especially for artists. Carl Andre, a sculptor, says that we cannot please others with our work until we learn to please ourselves first. But the problem is, who are we?! I went through a huge struggle last year and really hit rock bottom with these existentialist questions, and eventually came back up again. But the long and short for me is that the discovery of self is a lifelong journey. And like Art, who you are cannot be understood in words or theories or feelings. We just are, and we grow in understanding of our "are-ness" by just striving to be aware all the time ... and then put that in what we create. Thanks for this thought-provoking post!

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