A manifesto is not just a politician’s powerful tool for hoodwinking voters into buying them time in office. There are creative ways of developing and using one for personal ‘motivation,’ and it can be proudly listed in one’s portfolio of achievements. It does not matter whether the aspirations articulated in it actualize because the outcome will significantly define its articulate architect. As this essay details, success and failure are crucial ingredients in personality development. In “Twelve Moments in the Life of an Artist,” David Sedaris examines how identity develops through failures as well as achievements.
Sedaris documents the long and disgraceful developmental process of his identity through a series of failures. He is passionate about art but lacks the backing of a natural talent, which makes him drop out of school severally. He winds up in his “parents’ basement [but later moves out and discovers] both crystal methamphetamine and conceptual art. Either one of these things is dangerous, but in combination, they have the potential to destroy entire civilizations” (Sedaris 5). Living in the basement confirms that the young adult could not afford a place of his own – a sign of failure. Interestingly, Sedaris claims to have “discovered” methadone and conceptual art, which confirms his thirst for innovative art. However, drugs only help him escape reality, albeit temporarily, and ruin his life further. Sedaris testifies how he failed multiple times and drifted to drug addiction to make a name as an artist.
Sedaris shows that identity can develop through achievements as well. Arguably, Sedaris’s occasional small feats of accomplishment motivate him to try harder at the expense of his health. His last performance art show under the influence of “speed” turned out successful and served as a significant turning point. At the end of the show, the curator commends Sedaris, commenting that his father’s inclusion “was a great idea [because] the piece came together once you loosened up and started making fun of yourself” (12). Despite the humiliation, Sedaris recognized and embraced his identity (father), which enabled him to “loosen up” and enjoy what he did. Lou is not a great artist and does not spend his entire life despairing over it, but he attends exhibitions and enjoys them. Accordingly, David retreats to his rightful place as an artist – a seat in the audience as a commentator. Sedaris’s moments of glory altered his love for arts, shaping his personality.
Sedaris offers humorous accounts of defeat and achievement in his personal life to reveal how the odd pair compliments one another in shaping a person’s identity. Desperate to stand out as his sister, whom he enviously admires, Sedaris begins the expeditious search at the age of fourteen for what he finds to be quite elusive: a name as an artist. When drawing proves difficult, he turns to pottery, only to make some ugly mugs, even by a cat’s standards. Sedaris later turns to drugs to “speed” up his career and succeeds in making a “piece” with garbage and boxes that wins accolades in an art museum’s juried biennial. However, none of his many pieces ever win him a position in the artist’s hall of fame because he is passionate but untalented. These failures and achievements lead Sedaris to realize who he is and his worth, enabling him to appreciate art without making his life miserable trying to prove a point.
Reference
Sedaris, David. Me Talk Pretty One Day. New York, Little Brown & Co, New York, 2000