愛蓮．愛自在花園

　
非關動畫亦非關楊千嬅。

早前終於有空讀林一峰的《音樂．旅．情》。因著他的推介，買來了 Janis Ian 的現場演唱專輯 "Working Without a Net"，愛上她的 "This Train Still Runs"。

為了自行印製歌詞本，到她的網站找歌詞，卻無意中讀到一篇叫我感動也震動的文章。不論藝術創作者或藝術愛好者都應一讀。自己身為藝術行政人員，自問也從沒試過對自身使命作出這麼的深入也入心的反思，讀後不無慚愧。

以下文字來自她的"911 Journal"篇末的一段：

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Author: Janis Ian
From Website: http://www.janisian.com


We artists are alchemists of the soul. We transform the lead of sadness and despair into the gold of hope and joy. We search out peoples' dreams, and pluck them from the empty air to transmute them into fine metal. We are there when times get hard, to show our audiences that hope survives. And when times get so hard that people forget they ever had dreams in the first place, we are there, to hold out our hands and simply say 'Here are your dreams back. I've kept them safe for you.'

For those of us who get to do that night after night, it is an immense privilege.

Artists deal in the big dreams. Freedom. Faith. Hope. Safety. Whether hidden in the day-to-day language of the common man who's been placed in situations beyond his control, or couched in the elevated language of poetry, we are first and foremost dealing with peoples' lives and aspirations. We are the truest journalists our times have known, standing above bribery and deceit. We cannot be induced to lie in our songs with the promise of money or power. We are not willing to compromise what we see as truth, in order to gain popularity. Even the basest singer is loathe to utter lyrics that go against their firm beliefs, no matter what the record company or radio may wish. Even the lowliest songwriters, working two day jobs to make ends meet and living on the dream of their first cut, will not write a lyric that completely compromises their integrity.

As artists, we are the culture's first line of defense. This is not to discount the politicians or the military. The infrastructure of any country moblizes during times of chaos to protect us. Without that infrastructure, we would live in a state of siege. But as we've learned to our bitter regret, most politicians are not to be trusted. One has only to watch the grand-standing going on right now to remember that. And the military is unpredictable, often feared and loathed by the very people it's sworn to protect.

We are the first line of defense because, unlike the politicians and the military, we are trusted. Our audiences count on us to speak the truth as we see it, and to pull no punches. What does it require, to take this sort of stand?

It demands an examination of our own beliefs. Not to spout simplistic jargon that rallies the animal in us with slogans like America first or Nuke the Arabs, but to clarify for ourselves where we stand. As every artist must examine their private lives in order to be better creators, so must we examine our public lives, and those of the public around us. And once examined, we must give it voice and name through our work.

That which has no name does not exist for us. By naming our fears, our hopes, our triumphs, we return their dreams to the people who most need them.

I believe that art saves, because it allows us solace in the depths of despair. I believe that art saves souls, because it brings us to our knees and humbles us, while in the same moment raising us above the animals and our baser instincts. I believe that art ennobles humankind, for it crosses and transcends the barriers of gender, economics, nationalities and religions that we so blithely erect to protect our sensibilities and our resources.

I believe in alchemy. I believe in magic. And if ever this world needed us, it is now.

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也是時候多做點事了。