Something I’ve wrestled with a lot these past few years is what is the artist’s responsibility to the world? In a world filled with suffering, grief, oppression, and cruelty, what does an artist owe their fellow human beings?
Recent world events have once again brought this question to mind.
For me, the answer is simple and hard. My responsibility is to tell the truth in my art. This means I have to try and uncover what the truth is and then find a way to share it that might resonate with others.
My responsibility is not to educate or to entertain, although I hope my art does accomplish both of these. All I can do is tell the truth as I currently understand it. To me, the world is filled with beauty and whimsy and ugliness and terror.
I’m going to keep making my strange poetry comics. You may not like all of them. But I hope that some of them make you feel something.
This is how I’m choosing to make the world a better place.
Thanks for reading!
Be the weird you want to see in the world!
Cheers,
Jason
I have exciting news to share: You can now read Weirdo Poetry in the new Substack app for iPhone.
With the app, you’ll have a dedicated Inbox for my Substack and any others you subscribe to. New posts will never get lost in your email filters, or stuck in spam. Longer posts will never be cut-off by your email app. Comments and rich media will all work seamlessly. Overall, it’s a big upgrade to the reading experience.
The Substack app is currently available for iOS. If you don’t have an Apple device, you can join the Android waitlist here.
I've always felt that we have a responsibility to shine a light on important issues. Not everyone agrees with me, but I have to go with my conscience.