While some readers of Artists Are Always Right may think that they have a pretty good idea of who Douglas Schwartz is and his
beliefs on what being an artist is all about, To Be An Artist has much more to say! If you are an artist working in any medium or
discipline of artistic expression, or know someone who is, I invite you to check it out. Complete details on how to order your own
copy of To Be An Artist can be found on the ORDER PAGE.
I want to thank everyone who took the time to write to us during the often hectic holiday season. Some of your comments are
featured on this issue's FEEDBACK page.
As humanity faces the dawn of a new year, ON THE FRONT PAGE features a painting which portrays the morning of a new day
and, as I see it, the hope of a new year full of promise. In keeping with this notion, I offer two closing thoughts for you to consider.
The first pertains to an enjoyable evening I spent recently watching flash mob videos (the good kind) of various artists on YouTube.
I'm referring to the type of videos which show musicians, singers and dancers arriving at a public location and performing their
talents for a surprised audience. Some of these performances even cause some members of the audience to shed a tear or two
of joy. I hadn't watched videos of this type for some time but, as usual, was very impressed with what I saw.
One such video featured high school students (River Bluff High School) assembling in their school's lobby to sing music from
Les Misérables. Due to the pandemic from China, many of the singers were wearing masks. I believe that this video clearly
illustrates, more than anything that I have seen recently, that masks will never silence artists!
My second closing thought pertains to something that I was pondering during the holidays. There is an overwhelming abundance
of deception in the world. It's all over the news on television. As such, we are constantly forced to differentiate between reality,
illusion, and the fine line between the two.
Artists have always been seekers of truth. It's what makes us tick. We write, paint, and perform it. In fact, we express it in
everything we do. We may even go so far as to disguise it in humor, fantasy or fiction, but there is often truth there as well.
We have been the interpreters of what's going on in the world from day one. In doing so, we have exposed the lies and elevated
the truth in the past. There is no doubt in my mind that this unrelenting pursuit will continue far into the future. I can't wait to see
what artists will reveal in 2022!
May we all have a creative and positive New Year!
Until we connect again...
Douglas Schwartz, Publisher and Editor
Welcome to the first issue of Artists Are Always Right for 2022. I hope you are all doing well.
I have some exciting news to share with you. Drum roll please. After contending with the delay
which was the reason for the Murphy's Law SPOTLIGHT in the November/December 2021 issue,
I am extremely proud to announce that my latest book entitled, To Be An Artist has arrived!
I use the word "arrived" because of all the work and time needed to create it. You might even say
that I've been waiting for To Be An Artist to arrive all of my life because that is precisely how long
it has taken me to experience everything that went into it. While good things may come to those
who wait, it took a lot more than mere patience for this book to become a reality! Because of the
personal satisfaction and significance of this creative accomplishment, an inside look at To Be An
Artist is featured in this issue's SPOTLIGHT.