I tend to get totally turned off the moment I catch even the slightest whiff of something being calculated or strategically deliberate, particularly when it comes to music or visual expression. When did I become such a contrarian that I simply can’t stomach art like that? Still, I feel like I’ve felt something was wrong with trying to butter people up by playing to what’s likely to be popular, along with a rebellious streak that refuses to be fooled by such approaches, from a very young age.

The flipside is that I often find myself moved by acts of expression that, while awkward, are also brave and sincere. An example would be my 9-year-old daughter, who suddenly starts stumbling in her speech when she’s trying to convey something really important to her in her own words. She can speak without hitch if it’s an expression she heard or read somewhere, but if it’s something no one else has said before, something she’s never encountered before, then she seems to get frustrated at the way her words can’t keep up with her feelings despite using all the vocabulary and turns of phrase she knows. However, I see unmistakable growth in how she doesn’t shy away from what she wants to say and tries to communicate with words she’s never used. It’s much better than leaning on hackneyed deliveries or being satisfied with relying only upon what’s easy to say.

The four artists and groups featured in this issue are wholeheartedly attempting to express unique ideas they truly want to share with the world in a sincere manner. While I’m sure they don’t always succeed in this and maybe even come across irrational situations at times, they have faith that something still lies ahead on the path they’ve chosen, and so continue to seek, dream, and pursue. Their creations are genuinely awe-inspiring in the way they explore depths only achievable by those who honestly love what they do. Their unclouded passion and invigorating spirit are encouraging to behold. There is a realm that can only be reached by following one’s intuition without any sort of guarantee and continuing to see where it leads, a place that cannot be approached by anyone else’s artifice or imaginings.

In a slight change of subject, the topic of AI unexpectedly happened to come up in each of this issue’s interviews. I’m guessing this is due to ChatGPT, Midjourney, and so on becoming so widely accessible all at once this year. This will undoubtedly spark a revolution far beyond even the spread of the Internet, bringing drastic change to not just art but pretty much everything in the blink of an eye. Some are uneasy about this transition, while others see it as a golden opportunity. However, precisely because of these times we find ourselves in, I want to believe in the strength of freeform imagination only humans possess. I want to utilize and enjoy my own imagination to the fullest more than ever.