Making Art of Life

By the time Cortez came to Mexico, our ancestors, the Mexica – more commonly known as Aztecs – were already keepers of a living Toltec tradition, assimilated from earlier times, in the history and evolution of Mexico City, aka Tenochtitlan. This dynamic way of life forms a critical component of the mythical treasure the conqueror Cortez never found. Within the treasure, within this way of life, is the survival of our people.

The Toltec way of life, in philosophy and practice, has one defining characteristic. No matter what one does – lead armies or wash dishes – one does it with art, finesse, elegance and precision – art, artistic, con arte. One can see this characteristic in the janitor who finds flare and satisfaction in his work, in the entrepreneur who brings successes to millions, and of course, in the new song by your favorite band. Art makes the world turn.

“Do it artistically” describes this belief, but the actual philosophy is more like “Be the act, be the art.”  This knowledge lays the foundation of our cultural and physical survival, because art level work, in all its many forms, makes true change, healing and evolution.

We take a moment to salute the Ancestors for providing this way of life. No matter what we face, as all humans face adversity, they gave us a way to approach it with ART. For those of us who know that art is divine, what better way to approach the struggles of life?

MAKE ART