The Cartographer and The Worldbuilder
Poem by Rocco Valentini
Artwork Sourced from Pinterest. Artist: Unknown.
The Cartographer and The Worldbuilder
by Antonio Rocco S. (Rocco Valentini)
Art is truth And there is no his truth, Her truth, My truth, Our truth Or their truth— Only the truth. N 0° The science of art is cartography. A cartographer maps the world as it is. A world-builder maps the world As they believe it should be. Consider both are mariners. Which ship is better equipped to navigate? NE 45° Most captain's quarters lie Between the decks of the conscious And subconscious. The ego is the captain. The mind is the drafting table. The anatomical brain provides the ink Through the senses. E 90° Reason is the process of drawing. Logic is the tool we use To test the validity of each design. Logic is like a compass with four poles: Metaphysics, Epistemology, Ethics, And Aesthetics. If one’s reasoning is correct There won't be any contradictions Between one’s conclusions And the readings of the poles. S 180° To be a logician is to be a cartographer. To be an effective cartographer You have to keep your heart below deck And your head in the crow's nest. Your temperament is like the weather And it's better to navigate under clear skies And calm waters than to try to navigate A tempest within your skull. SW 225° Feelings are the wind in our sails But too much wind can steer a ship off course. Art helps us control the weather And stay on course By terraforming our inner worlds. The goal of art is not to make people feel more But to help them think better. W 270° Il n’est pas de bon vent pour celui qui ne sait où il va. (Translation: There is no favorable wind for he who does not know where he is going.)