Dear Kokila, what is art?

Dear Kokila

I do not ask this question to myself often, I have to yet figure out why? But What is art to me?

I have drawn most as child was infinite scribbles (tornados), how fast I can make one, can it have a form, can it have? Can It be? Can it be? & many can it beeees. Writing this last sentence, I’ve had a realisation. Art is surely my carrier but how? It helped me ask questions my consciences wanted to ask. A mentor, my inner guru which has constantly helped me uplift as a being. To understand the power of being.

Btw I’ve learnt many formal lessons and you know possibly all of them, now I’m curious to ask how you learnt so much about something that is natural and yet needs an identifier. Something like empathy. How you identified your truths Kokila when you came back to Bhopal? For me, I found my first answer quite soon, You & then dylogg. :)

Tomorrow is Shrey’s birthday. I have celebrated my identity with this man the most. He acknowledged my sides I’ve always been seeking validation for. One of those most valuable moment is when he said, “Tujhe pata hai tu khud ek art hai.”

What is art to me? I’ll paint this background with romanticism that will be the first layer. One is infinite, shine bright like diamond, all praises & poetries of god, scientists, humans, my fanaticism is my fantasies. Art is a language which if one love to read possibilities are endless. There are worlds so true that an artist keep wandering each layer, each string, each dimension, each perspective, each data, each annotation, each interests, each lives, *itching myself on feet with cold hands on warm feet* So yes I love stories and I find artists who lived their art vehhhhhhhhhry verrrrrrhhhy irresistible. (I now want to know everything about them in one day, as I lose interest other day and leverage my imagination to romanticise the idea of living their lives).

Art & constraints contradict each other and I love every contradiction. There lies a secret question to be treasured. Like, are you a squirrel or are you a rat? And thinking about this always excites me to make analogies about myself.

More later. I’ll write again.

In a breezy night with some warm celebrations and friends.

XOXO

Shailesh

26 Nov 2020