Tree of Wisdom

We think we have freedom, but do we really? Our choices are carefully curated, from presidential candidates to groceries. We have been conditioned to want what we have been given as “choices.” We are told to be happy with these choices. It will go easier for us. But most of us are trapped by a job we didn’t choose, supporting an economy that does not care about us, food that is filled with hormones and environmental conditions and a healthcare system that are literally killing us.

I have made it my life’s work to mitigate these factors in my own life (I’m self employed) but there is only so much I can do, when all my choices are made for me. I shop local and choose the hand made whenever possible. I eat unprocessed foods when possible. But even these choices are being made more difficult by the day. And that is all by design. Cities all look alike, with the same corporate retailers on every corner. All things quirky and unique are being marginalized by price point, delivery speed, and unnecessary regulations on small businesspeople. There is a uniformity that has emerged that is safe, comfortable and convenient. AI is going to make this exponentially worse. Soon we will all be content to live in our tiny virtual world, safe in our little cacoons, Metrix style, nicely out of the way for our handlers to enjoy the world’s bounty.

Even my “choice” to be an artist is made by others, who are heavily influence by a few people who determine the meaning of quality, when it comes to art. Yes, I’m “free” to paint whatever way I want. But artists, including myself, very quickly in their career are placed into neat categories. We upset that delicate balance at our peril. “My Market” has been determined by what has been most successful for me early on. We actually live in caste society. We get to be one thing and this is how we relate to others. Breaking the caste is a monumental feet. My brand is successful for me but probably not for you. If I change my approach to painting, I’d have to start over, building my new market from scratch, and losing most of my current earning capacity along the way. I’m happy painting the way I paint. And I enjoy experimenting with other ways. But there is an expectation in the market that I create like Robert Maniscalco. In a very real sense, I am not free. And I wager those of us who think they’re free, upon close examination, probably aren’t.