Comedians Know Art

Josh Johnson is a comedian, but more than that, he is a storyteller. He reminds me of a young George Carlin. He takes his time telling stories, lingering on words in a way that says, “Hey, I’m not in a hurry. I want you to listen carefully while I speak just as carefully. Listen to my words.” He has a way of pulling the audience in with his timing, and he lands each moment with a thoughtful comedic punch. More than that, he makes you think about the bigger lessons in life. Each time I come across one of his stand-up videos, I learn something. I consider something. I laugh at something. He truly is a master of his craft.

A price on art

As much as I think about what qualities give someone the title of artist, author, or dancer, I’ve also been thinking about what gives art its value. What makes art successful? When do we agree that art has achieved what it’s set out to do?

In one of his routines, Josh Johnson addressed exactly that. He said:

“Art can’t be audited. You can’t penny-pinch passion. The things that make people dedicate their lives to art forms—there’s no price you can put on it. And what about art you can’t make money from? There are artists who do beautiful drawings in the sand and let the tide take it away. Is that not art because they didn’t charge you to watch them at the beach? Us expanding our understanding of what art is, and what artists go through, is paramount to a better world. Real art—the things that move you, and sometimes move other people—whether they do or not should not determine whether we see it as art. You see a painting and you’re moved—that’s art to you.”

I believe that if something is created—a song, a painting, a sculpture, a poem, a book, a dance—and it has been meaningful to the creator, then that creative act has value. The point is not how many streams, likes, or sales something has, but how valuable it is to the creator—or to the person who is moved by it.

I’m not diminishing the importance of making money in the arts. We need shelter, food, and the ability to live well in this world. Money matters. But art created with heart feels deeper. It affects people differently, and that effect is where the magic—and the value—lives. I also believe that work created from that deeper place has staying power.

I may be wrong, but these are my thoughts. That being said, if my books or art ever kick down a door that sends money flowing in my direction, I won’t be closing it.

As always, thank you for reading, Lovelies.