Why so serious?
Tuesday, May 5, 2009 - FEATURES
[SEE. THINK. TALK.]
Life is tough. But why do people insist on taking everything about it so freakin' seriously?
A snarky barista has ruined my day. I’m out of milk. An alley cat scared me. There are a million reasons to take life too seriously, and I know I’m guilty as charged. Yet, I’ve also been in quite a few situations where I realized how totally hilarious it would be … if it weren’t happening to me. In my quest to find more humor in life, I stumbled upon the not-so-serious work of Marc Johns. Clever, crisp, and creative, Marc’s work illustrates the sillier side of life. To learn how to find the fun and hilarity in my own world, I asked Marc about his work, the arts, and where he finds inspiration.
SP: Do you think people take life too seriously?
MJ: People take the wrong things too seriously. In general, we tend to focus on all the things we think will make us happy, instead of focusing on being happy in the first place. I am certainly guilty of that. And I try to point this fact out in my drawings by making fun of our coveting of things.
SP: What inspires you?
MJ: Authenticity, honesty, clarity, originality. When these qualities are applied to not just art but music, science, food, urban planning, writing, and other areas, I am inspired.
SP: What does art mean to you?
MJ: Art has to mean something. It has to mean something to the artist and the viewer. If it’s only meaningful to the artist, then it’s mostly therapy. If it’s an exercise in style, then it’s decoration. This relates to why my drawings are pared down, I suppose, and sometimes a tad crudely drawn. There’s not much in the way of pure aesthetics—just a message or an observation. Hopefully, it’s the start of a conversation.
SP: How do you relax in this hectic world?
MJ: By going to the park or the beach with my wife and two boys. You can’t beat quality time with our little crew.
SP: How does your belief system influence your art?
MJ: So much of how our world works is a giant game that we all made up and agreed to play [a certain way]. It’s like kids at recess making up their own version of dodgeball. So when you take a step back, you realize that it’s just a game, that it can all be quite silly, and you can opt not to play. With my art, I like to poke fun at that game.
:: serious questions asked by Lindsay McComb
@shannkelly I always wondered if others watched me in my car =) I listen to audiobooks too, it's the ONLY thing that can calm me on my commute home.
I'm wondering why @rainnwilson blocked me on twitter when I made fun of The Rocker. Isn't that taking yourself too seriously?
I agree with most of these claims. Some people to tend to taker things too seriously, get stressed, miss things, and the world just goes by too fast for them. On the other hand, there are people to take things too casually, and they miss their opportunity to strike a chance at something big in life. I have learned that the best thing for mankind is moderation in all things. There is a time to be serious, and there is a time to not. It's not a matter of one or the other, it's a matter of how we get the perfect balance of feelings, emotions, and attitude in our lives to keep things running smoothly and going up to our highest point. I say that almost everyone is taking everything too serious or too casually. It'll take some time before the message of moderation, and consideration of the possibilities gets around the world and is accepted as a prime choice.
Yes, people do take life too seriuosly...And those people look @ me like if I were some loony, excuse me for not letting things get to me as much I need to be stress free. Why put energy into things that have passed when I could put that energy into creating and making my life better...Quit being such complainers let it go
@artsygirl What is the purpose of materialism? Do you think we are immersed in it because it is meant to teach us something? Maybe if we weren't inordinately seduced by material things, we would appreciate the natural things less when we finally come to our senses and see that the simpler things are where true joy can be found.
A belly-splitting, wet-your pants, can't breathe, laughing till your cry laugh is the best gift that anyone can ever give me! I live for those moments. My wish is for everyone to have more of those moments in their lives. That is true healing!
As someone who used to be a stiff but is now more carefree and goofy... I would have to say that most people are not happy with where they are at in their lives and because of this they don't have much to be happy about so they walk around and don't try to laugh and have fun.
i think the human population has evolved into materialistic beings that only concentrate on the material part of life. As we speak i am at a friends house who just happens to have a lot of gamer roommates and ALL they think about is video games and things that are materials. They are often depressing people to talk to when they are not around video games but when one person starts playing a game (old school Mega Man) they run like little giddy children toward the screen. We as human beings we need to realize we are happy and that we don't need fancy phones or computers or simulated life to make us happy. we are perfectly fine the way we were created in the first place.
- LIFE's BIG QUESTIONS
- ATTACK A CHALLENGE
@MusicJunkie I agree totally. I'm so guilty of that, thinking I can deal mentally with every problem that comes my way and pretty much it never comes out the way I think it will. All that thinking about a problem or a waiting for a confrontation and POW...nuthin'. The mind is the ultimate trickster.