Ordinary Banana

I broke up with art a few years ago, and we’ve just gotten to the point where we’re starting to be on speaking terms again. However, I’m still really confused about importance of beauty in the world and whether it’s a justifiable end on its own without other purposes like love.

This definitely was catalysed by Effective Altruism, but our wider society doesn’t have a coherent relationship with art and beauty at all. It’s like we believe we have a drinking problem whenever we’re consuming art. What’s a recovering artist to do?

So y’all, what I’m really asking for is thoughts and links on beauty and it’s relationship to things like responsibility, compassion, solidarity. How can you seriously make art without abandoning a responsibility to usefulness, connection, service?