The Artist Unbroken

A certain standard of approach, methodology, and content in a young artist’s early education has been accepted by society at large without any demand for validation and essentially ignored by the philosophical and therapeutic community until dysfunction actually presents itself. What we seek here is to describe some of the constituents of the lived world of a young artist and from that phenomenological description, determine whether the philosophical basis thereof (vaguely articulated though it may be) supports a healthy style of being-in-the-world. We also wish to sug-gest alternative ways, based on better articulated philosophical tenets, to foster both fine artistry and an integrated, authenticity-directed life, rather than sacrificing one for the other, presumably without recourse. I. Lived Time in the Life of a Young Artist We are accustomed to thinking of a child’s temporality as uncluttered, fluid, undemanding, protected from and open to the world at the same time. A child’s world is one in which life seems most possible. A child who is studying one of the fine arts professionally, however, is usually expected to practice, rehearse, or take class for much of the day. The day, in fact, i