Be a romantic
No time for me today? Here are the highlights:
Just, read.
Good morning.
This is called Wanderer above the Sea of Fog.
It was painted in 1818 by German painter Caspar David Friedrich.
It is a seminal, iconographic work of the Romantic period.
It is one of my favorite paintings.
There doesn't seem... a lot to be hopeful about in the world right now.
No bright future we can imagine.
No real sense that things are moving forward, and up, and will keep moving forward and up.
No guarantee that good triumphs over evil.
If you're like me, you live each day with a quiet hum of existential dread.
And that, that's a good day.
And yes, millions of people throughout the world, whether they struggle with extreme poverty, religious conflict, or mental health issues, whether they sleep in a cage or watch their children waste away with disease, put on a brave face and struggle through worse.
We're in a tough spot in our history right now.
We've been coasting along with problems growing over our shoulders for decades. But now, they're too big to ignore. We can't take anything for granted; no single comfort, no right or freedom.
There are a couple of ways to respond.
The way I see a lot online is a sort of cynicism. Umbrage over blatant hypocrisies big and small, and lies of omission. Despair about the lack of character or competence in our leaders. Disbelief at the indifference of wealthy elites. Confusion about the truth.
A lot of shaking our heads in moral indignation. A response to a seeming inevitability of decline.
Some of this stuff can be insightful. I learn a lot.
Some of it is performative. Edgy. Not so helpful.
I don't know if I'm more sensitive to the latter or not, but it feels like the predominant strain.
I don't blame anyone for being frustrated, or for trying to understand our problems. I'm one of you.
But this mentality doesn't seem to be solving any of our problems, either.
We see our minds given to venom, and the result is more hopelessness. We find ourselves more alone than ever.
This kind of attitude might be in fashion, in the arts as well, but, I don't think people really respond to it. Maybe some artists do.
I think people respond to adventure.
To possibilities.
To romance.
So, even if your comic deals with dark, heavy subjects, I urge you to be mindful of giving over to this cynicism.
Rise above it. Find some romance. Some possibility. Some light in the dark. Even if it's subtle.
What I'm telling you, and myself today, is this:
Don't be a cynic.
Be a romantic.
That's all for now.
Thank you for your support. It really means a lot.
If it's not too much trouble, share Ronin Digital Express with a friend, or even an enemy with good taste.
Be good.
*rent