A Manifesto: A Video Re-Creation of a Lecture I Gave at Rockford College in 2004
Crazy Audacious
It was a great honor for philosopher Stephen Hicks to invite me to present my manifesto to The Rockford College Philosophy Club in 2004. Stephen and I have been great friends ever since a chance meeting at a crosswalk in Boulder, Colorado in 1996.
It is crazy audacious to create a manifesto. The idealism can backfire and sink like lead if it is off, and it might not age well. But I am still as proud of my truth then as now, almost 20 years later. I think the answer to why it still works is that it was not deducted as ideals I wanted to have, it came from my love of everything to do with making the greatest art that I could.
Manifesto
To enlighten,
not to toss obscure puzzles.
To bless Earth,
not to damn existence.
To impart the breath of life,
not to draw degradation.
To bring forth shimmering passion,
not to wallow in despair.
Using the poetic manifesto as base this lecture covers the concepts of thought, perception, flourishing, and passion that underlie all my art.
Michael, Idyllwild, 6/6/2021