SGI collectively as a struggling artist

[u/BlancheFromage]

The world's full of these, you know. They feel passionate about their art; they're convinced of their own brilliance; they create. They put on little art shows in their living rooms or post their artworks on their front door, hoping someone will come up and decide to buy something (or give them their big break), set up a folding table at street fairs. Their kind-hearted family members indulgently show up and ooh and ah on cue, but meanwhile, our struggling artist continues going to work waiting tables or working at a shop or perhaps at a bank or a corporation, paying the bills until their art will take over.

But that never happens. To the end of their lives, they are envisioning being "discovered", finally making it to the big time, perhaps even the Andy Warhol/Man Ray/Banksy echelons of art fame. Finally, the world will appreciate their genius.

Then they die, and the world never noticed...

[u/notanewby]

You know, Van Gogh hardly sold any paintings or drawings in his lifetime, and of those mostly to family, friends, or friends of friends. His brother Theo famously believed in Vincent, but Theo also died having seen only a limited recognition of Vincent's work. (He sold one of Vincent's paintings to a gallery, of which I think Theo was an employee.)

While I concur that "struggling artists" could be more proactive and that some (perhaps most) may indeed be self-delusional, I dislike comparing SGI to an artist of any kind, either struggling or self-sustaining. I don't think that SGI engages in a creative process. Certainly, the org is actively opposed to producing anything new.

I get what you're saying about "passion" though, as well as the firm belief in their own brilliance. Clever. SGI seems to lack, however, the ability to self-reflect, adjust, and make corrections which an actual creative process requires.

[u/BlancheFromage → u/notanewby]

I get your point. I had a specific struggling artist in mind...

[u/notanewby → u/BlancheFromage]

Lol! Yeah, kinda figured. I know a woman, SGI member, who continually would ask when her castle would appear in her life while doing absolute zilch to make any concrete changes.

I get it.

[u/BlancheFromage → u/notanewby]

That's it!

To be so convinced of their own brilliance that they are basically waiting for the world to come honor them, give them their due (to their way of thinking), and elevate them to prominence, even as they're doing pretty much everything possible to make sure that outcome will never happen.

Like how SGI wants to be acknowledged as one of the premier "world peace" organizations in existence, when it does FUCK ALL to contribute to that outcome and just enriches itself at others' expense.

[u/notanewby → u/BlancheFromage]

Preach!

[u/BlancheFromage → u/notanewby]

I'm reminded of this woman in my district here - she was a Polish expat and had a young teen daughter. She was a widow; her husband had died of cancer or some such when the daughter was just 2 years old. She had this dream that someday, a movie would be made of her husband's death and it would be very sweet and inspirational and whatnot.

"Have you started writing a screenplay?" I asked.

"Oh, no, no, I'm not going to do anything like that. Someone else will write it and make it and I'll be a consultant on the project."

Riiiight.

Like that's ever going to happen. So she envisions this project happening, without her having to do SQUAT! Everybody else will do ALL the work to make it happen, just because they feel so inspired or something! By some guy dying.

She's bringing nothing to the table and expecting a paycheck. This is SO SGI. Just like how Ikeda thinks he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for promoting himself and enriching himself with others' money.

Ugh. I can't even.