Today (I wrote this text on the 3rd of January, 2024), I will write my deliberations on fame.
The truth is that The Beatles played, sang, and toured for about three years, being a relatively anonymous band. It happened between 1960 and 1963 when Beatlemania erupted. I have been taking pictures on the streets of Warsaw for over 8 years (since October 2015), writing (since May 2017), and blogging for over 6 years (since September 2017). For the vast majority of people, I am an anonymous creator. But I write about it not to lament my anonymity, but to celebrate the joy of creation. Even the Beatles must have had a period during which they simply did what they loved without being famous or making an international name.
Does this mean that fame is my goal? Of course not.
On the contrary. The longer I remain anonymous, the more photos and texts I will create for posterity. The longer I am, the more I am aware of it. Creating meaningful likes peace and quiet. I do not aim to be famous because fame is a vain illusion. It is a mirage that I do not want to experience. Fame among the people is futility, as Marc Aurelius wrote. I know I can sound suspicious. You can say, my Dear Friend, something like this:
You write about fame because you are not famous, and perhaps you will never be. If you are not recognized, you can easily state that you do not want fame in your life.
Perhaps you would be right. Still, not this time. For today, you must rely on my words, in which I want to state that fame is not necessary to me. I create to live forever in other people’s minds. I do not want anything for that. For example, I did not ask Warsaw’s authorities what Warsaw could do for me. I asked myself what I could do for Warsaw. And in that, I find a connection with all creators, past and present, who have left their mark on the world through their work. And that’s how I will finish my deliberations on fame.
