Legacies

I turn 60 in a few week's time. No matter how you look at it, for me, there is more time for me behind than there is ahead. I have known some of my friends who are also turning 60 this year for more than forty years. We have witnessed each other in the flush of youth, in the early stages of our careers, getting married, having children, divorce, illness and all the parts of life that happen as you grow older.

Class of '85, BCAE

Obviously all of those things, especially our kids are our legacy, but there will be legacies beyond that. At some point we all need to ask how people will remember us when we are no longer here. Immortality is not something any of us has access to, despite some people with way too much money seeking exactly that. As the saying goes, none of us is getting out of here alive.

But rather than focusing on death as 'the end' I want to focus on what we will each leave behind. Whatever we want people to say about us when we go is the result of what we do in the here and now...this moment, today.

I have read on Facebook about Brian May (legendary guitarist from the group Queen) stating that in addition to being involved with the cutting edge band, he wants people to remember his kindness and work with animals. Similarly, Ricky Gervais will be remembered not just for his comedy but for his advocacy for animals. As artists, their art will live on longer than they do. Every time we hear a Queen song in the future we will undoubtedly think of Freddy Mercury as well as Brian May. In addition to his outstanding musicianship, Mercury was a (possibly unwitting) advocate for the LGBQTI+ community, simply by being true to himself as he weathered the prejudice of others.

You have to wonder what some of our world "leaders" think their legacies will be. Putin and Netanyahu will be remembered as war-mongering heartless individuals who facilitated the suffering and death of thousands. Despite his assertions about being the "best U.S. president ever", Trump's legacy will actually be economic, cultural and moral disaster. Sadly, the legacy of his term as "the Clown" president will be suffering of his victims, and the American people in general for decades. He also asserts that his health is outstanding. Maybe it is, although I seriously doubt it, but regardless, sooner or later he will be gone from the earth just like the rest of us.

People whose purpose seems to be all about becoming as rich as possible often don't seem much better. Note that I said people whose purpose is about acquiring riches, not all rich people. Rather than using their wealth to make the world better, the Geoff Bazos and Elon Musks of this world seem determined to become richer and more powerful, no matter the cost to others or the planet. By contrast, people like Taylor Swift and Sandra Bullock are known for their generosity to others who are less fortunate.

Personally, I would rather be like Brian May or Sandra Bullock. It is more than a little interesting to me that the people I would like to emulate in terms of a legacy are fellow artists. For me that is not just a coincidence. As I have said many times before, art allows you to develop ways of thinking that are what I believe we need in order to able to have a positive impact on our world.

Making art, whatever form it takes, shifts you from binary thinking, to more critical thought processes and problem solving. It makes you a more tolerant and empathetic person because you have to develop a degree of sensitivity in order to make art. It also helps with your health and well being which gives you more energy resources to use in whatever way you decide to and makes you a nicer person to be around. It is also no surprise to me that authoritarian and conservative governments very often don't support the arts. Or even do their best to defund art in society. They see artists as left-wing, bohemian radicals, which thankfully they very often are.

Tranquility, mixed media by Ann Russell, 2022

So my legacy, hopefully, will be not just the art I make, but also the state of mind that art has created for me. I hope that I will be remembered as an advocate for the environment, a creative problem solver, and someone who was always generous regardless of how much or how little I have.