When observing our society it is natural to wonder if all people are equally disposed to developing their awareness, since awareness, like passion, often seems contingent on semi-random factors not easily measured by our current means. Even though I’ve vacillated over the years in the opinions that I hold, I do believe awareness and intelligence to be essentially distinct; and I believe that the awareness whereof I speak—which is of a value greater than textbook intelligence—is available unto all, being it not the product of nature but developed as any skill and talent in life via will, humility and a commitment unto a higher standard of being.

This is important to note, given the emphasis that is placed upon the concepts of knowledge and ignorance within our system, since we do not use these words to evoke some academic intelligence but in reference to a combination of healthy expectations, healthy associations, self-awareness, knowledge, empathy, wisdom and focus. Our sphere isn’t suffering in terms of its book smarts, and I wouldn’t even say of our general masses that they are stupid, but ignorant, which is to say misinformed, distracted and lacking the motivation to change that aspect of themselves. Therefore, we are ever better off viewing the matter in terms of paradigm, which, unlike intelligence, is capable of undergoing significant changes throughout an individual’s lifetime. I use the term ‘paradigm’ to refer to the sum of one’s associations and, as a result, one’s perceptions—similar to but distinct from the notion of a ‘worldview’, which is a shallower concept in that it doesn’t normally incorporate our emotional and perceptual experience and largely refers to a sort of ‘life philosophy’. Each and every individual operates within a particular paradigm; and although there exists the potential for an endless variety of paradigms within this sphere, the paradigm of a given individual rarely deviates from that which is maintained by the collective—be it family or culture—within which they were grown and educated.

On a related note, the term ‘paradigm lock’ is used frequently within my work to indicate any instance in which the holding of false associations precludes the realization and assimilation of truth. This is a significant issue that we face as a species, with most of us having become so locked into our paradigms to where no alternative seems sensible or feasible to us and we cannot gain an accurate reading of our options within any given moment, thus falling back upon predictable patterns of behavior. This goes far beyond basic ignorance and entails an inability to see the relevance in veritable avenues of salvation which surround us. It is terrifying to me; it is terrifying to know that if there are enough people working to convince the population that one and one equals three then eventually the masses lose the capacity to even question it. And that’s the thing: such a conclusion never actually becomes logically sound; it is only that curiosity becomes lost along the way and at that point it doesn’t even matter how logical we are in our approach if it doesn’t ever occur to us to question what lies before us.

Imagine being made alert to the fact that a murder has taken place within your local community. Naturally, and with no second guessing, you will run to warn your loved ones, not considering that the culprit is among those who you consider dear. It’s not that you aren’t taking the situation seriously; you are doing exactly as any concerned individual would. Yet certain longstanding assumptions have left you vulnerable to gravest danger and you could go to your death without ever even seeing the need to rethink your perceptions, since your paradigm has already set.

It was this very issue around which Comprachicos was set up in 2018, our goal being essentially to foster an awareness of our options in life, as well as attempting to remythologize, or resacralize the modern, mythless landscape, salvaging future generations from the nihilism of the age. This was to be tackled by a variety of means, although I was especially focused on the task of equipping the public with a better means by which to not only measure the meaningfulness of their acts, but to build upon what is meaningful within their lives. This entailed the creation of a vast network designed to alter public perceptions of existence and the possibilities that it holds for us all. One such operation involved the creation of Gallery Vitæ: a so-called ‘museum of existence’ which sought to catalogue the human experience in a variety of ways and with a presentation that would empower the agency of the individual, creating for a more active life experience—as contrasted with the passive and begrudging plod carried out by so many who are simply doing what is expected of them. Our goal was to get people to interact with their existence with all the same fervor and commitment with which they interact with their fictions, their video games, their canvases, dezinezinet. It is in this way that it loosely came to be associated with Existentialism, what with its “life is what you make it” attitude which fed, ultimately, into our very eccentric and otherworldly aesthetic.

While these ideals still resonate with me and all that I want for Comprachicos, the focus has shifted away from the Existentialist themes; and rather than erecting our empire upon a reactive premise which aids others in coping with this sick world, I have become far more focused on shifting the actual underlying paradigms of society and throwing the dart as near to the root of the problem as humanly possible so as to actually eradicate (or greatly diminish) the need for ‘coping’. And let me tell you... there is no reason why, with enough commitment and participation, we cannot hit that target straight on. There is no reason why, with an army of empathy, intelligence and conviction on our side, we cannot undo the damage that has been done to our collective definitions and expectations.