Check your fridge!

I have a lot of stuff in my fridge. Most of what I have in there I don’t recall buying and I certainly don’t plan on consuming it at any time soon. Yet I know I am incredibly lucky to have so much, that I can choose not to consume and still have a balanced diet. Often, I grab the coke instead of the water, the pudding instead of the fruit and the ice-cream instead of the vegetables. Why not, right? If this is what makes me happy then, dammit, I should be able to do it without feeling guilty. I am set in my ways. I know what I like and that’s what I’m sticking with.

I have my bread. I eat bread every day. It gives me what I need: A sufficient foundation for the day. It is reliable, cheap and always there. It gives me a sense of comfort. It seems to adapt to my moods and it definitely has a huge effect on my well-being. Or at least I think so…

My meat is very important to me. It is red, it is juicy and goes along great with the bread. I eat all kinds of meat. that is all the variety I need in my life.

And then, there’s the jelly. Oh yes, the jelly. I can just smear it on anything and it’ll fill in the gaps. It always fills in the gaps. That’s what makes it so convenient.

A pickle I don’t have every day… but on some days, I do, even though I have to eat them at school a lot.

Now, let’s think of the fridge not as a fridge but more as your life in general. The bread is the small arts you consume every day. From your funny Facebook-feed to your tantalizing Twitter tweets. From the childish chalk on the sidewalk to the annoying ads anywhere and everywhere. Think of the meat as the music you listen to… in the shower, on your way to class, during your runs and after hard days of studying. Think of the jelly as videos on YouTube, sitcoms and basically every sort of visual art you consume more attentively, but only in small chunks and between things. The pickle is the brilliant book you read from time to time.

And that is basically it. That is the art we usually consume between classes, studying, homework and maintaining a presentable body shape so your parents won’t be too concerned when you come back for spring break. This routine isn’t too bad, is it? It can even help me to keep my life together, right?

I sometimes think this way. I sometimes think that by consuming the same products, the same services and the same art, I can keep a balance in my life. But most of the time it’s the things that shake this balance, which make living fun and which, paradoxically, balance your life most effectively.

Just like mixing up your diet, mixing up your art consumption isn’t only fun but also healthy. We have so much going on on Campus. Go to the theater and have a laugh, go to a concert and be moved, visit exhibitions and galleries and let the art take you away. Away from the daily stress, away from the sorrows in your life. Maybe just try a new type of meat (that was my metaphor for music, remember?).

Discovering new art is like discovering new worlds, created within and through this, our very own world. It is a lot like having a thorough look into the depth of your fridge. You will find things that you didn’t know were in there and it will take just a little step out of the comfort zone to try them. Who knows… your favorite food might be in there somewhere… you just haven’t found it yet.

Stay up to date about art events: http://artsatmichigan.umich.edu/

PS: Remember to be as weird as you can possibly be.