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This is my attempt at philosophical beauty.

blog post one

beauty philosophy and the artist way

The recognition of beauty—whether subjective or objective—is ultimately the recognition of structure.

Visual Art

Visual art is geometric, just as musical notes are structured sounds. Creating structure requires effort and knowledge of the medium. Visual art is built on perspective, geometry, and color. Modern artists may create works that are recognizable representations of subjects—or not. Three-dimensional art can appear as one thing from one perspective and something entirely different from another. Some pieces may look chaotic from every angle, yet reveal their true purpose when viewed in a specific way. Visual art is, at its core, the art of the eye.

Music

Music is the recognition of sound. Notes are the ear’s perception of four-dimensional geometry—vibrations resonating at frequencies that form balanced structures. Bells and sound bowls embody this resonance, their circular forms producing harmonious vibrations. String, wind, and percussion instruments all share this geometric balance. Rhythm adds another dimension: the structure of sound over time. Often, the drummer holds the beat, while other musicians play with variations around that structure, creating tension between order and chaos. Music can be composed through theory or emerge spontaneously from the interaction of skilled individuals. Music is the art of the ear.

Smell

Beautiful smells arise from the recognition of molecular structures by the nose. Many scents are the product of long evolutionary histories, serving as markers across species. Pleasant smells attract, while foul odors repel. Scents can also be crafted—through oils, incense, or burning herbs—to evoke emotional or spiritual responses. In rituals and practices, smells create atmosphere, connecting directly to brain chemistry. Smell is more complex than sight or sound, and more intimately tied to memory and emotion.

Taste

Food offers two levels of beauty. The first is the art of the tongue: the chemical interactions of flavors with the mouth and nose. The second is the art of the stomach: the biochemical processes of digestion, where enzymes and gut reactions unfold over time. Cooking is therefore both science and art, requiring knowledge of taste, smell, and the body’s deeper responses.

Touch

The art of touch is subtle yet essential. It spans clothing, furniture, and countless materials, shaping comfort and physical experience.

Literature

Writing is the art of creating visuals in the mind. It is also musical, even without sound, as rhythm and tempo shape how words resonate internally. Metaphor and storytelling engage imagination, manifesting the art of language. Literature connects to both eye and ear, and can be transformed into poetry readings, plays, or films.

Technology

Technology is a utilitarian art: the imagination applied to tasks and interactions. Architecture, engineering, medicine, social systems, and computer science are all forms of art that blend creativity with function.

The Role of the Artist

The artist’s role is to discover beauty and manifest it through their chosen medium. All art is transcendence—a redefinition of self through the recognition of existing beauty. It is gratitude in action, an extension of the self expressed through structure and the consequences of one’s actions.

Philosophical Beauty

Philosophical beauty is the contemplation of existence and coexistence. It transcends words and visible structures, seeking the unseen patterns of self and community.

I propose three truths:

1. Structure (or beauty) is inconvenient.

Clean dishes require more effort than dirty ones. A tidy house takes more mindfulness than a messy one. Structure demands conscious effort, and beauty requires recognition. Though structure comes into and out of existence in time, its truth exists beyond spacetime. To recreate or recognize it requires mindfulness. Thus, beauty is inconvenient.

2. Existence is inconvenient.

To exist in spacetime is to have structure. Existence means constant interaction with external reality, which is always changing. We exert preferences into reality, shaping it. The more comfortable we become with impermanence, the more beauty we find. Gratitude and awareness align us with external beauty and meaning.

3. Coexistence is inconvenient.

To coexist is to recognize that others exert their preferences just as we do. Existence is the exertion of force toward self-improvement, while coexistence requires mindful awareness of others’ realities. It is not energy exerted, but energy shared.

Conclusion

These truths are beautiful only to those seeking spiritual beauty, for they imply a willingness to embrace inconvenience in pursuit of a more interdependent reality. The artist’s way is to search for beauty and express it in the lives of others. Philosophy, unlike other arts, exists primarily in the mind of the practitioner. Yet it manifests externally in kindness, humility, and discipline without dominance. These qualities are enjoyable to encounter. Philosophy is the art of experiencing subjective beauty within objective reality.

blog Post 2

Addiction is a type of suffering.
I see addiction as something that often starts with domestication or parenting styles based on punishment and reward. When you grow up with this kind of parenting, you learn to think that good things happen because you did something right, and bad things happen because you did something wrong. It also teaches you to value other people’s opinions more than your own, which means your happiness depends on others. Addicts often confuse chemical euphoria with real, lasting happiness. The real answer to addiction is self-love.

For this conversation, let’s define love as the structure of awareness and existence. Energy is chaotic, but consciousness brings structure. Creating structure takes effort, and effort is naturally uncomfortable. So, moving in the direction of your own growth—even when it’s inconvenient—is an act of self-love. Ironically, many addicts don’t believe they deserve self-love. I call this “internal addiction,” because their sense of worth depends on others. [Addiction...suffering | Word]

There are three levels of addiction or awareness:

Unaware Habitual Existence:
People at this level don’t have self-worth, so they don’t pay attention to themselves or create structure in their lives. This lack of structure reinforces their belief that they aren’t worthy, and the cycle continues. They often suffer from low self-esteem and replay the voices of others in their heads—maybe an angry parent or a childhood bully. Their internal dialogue isn’t really their own, just echoes from the past. They do things that feel good in the moment and struggle to see the benefit of putting in effort, because it feels like someone else’s desires are being forced on them. Delayed gratification doesn’t make sense to them, and some of this comes from watching parents work just for a paycheck. [Addiction...suffering | Word]
Aware Habitual Existence:
At this stage, a person has discovered their own existence. They’re willing to be inconvenienced for their own growth and have developed productive habits. They benefit themselves out of a desire for self-worth and help others in exchange for external validation. I like to say “clean time doesn’t equal recovery.” For me, clean time isn’t just about abstinence—it’s about having clean laundry, clean dishes, and being willing to take care of your surroundings. It’s about keeping a calendar and showing up when you say you will. But this isn’t true recovery. Recovery is being able to go from “not okay” to “okay” without needing something external or biochemical to help. At this level, addiction shifts from internal to external, but the person still hasn’t developed a loving relationship with reality—just a productive relationship with themselves. [Addiction...suffering | Word]
Mindful Existence:
This is the level where you become aware of others. Assertive people might notice others are there, but still see them as separate. I think of the Bodhi tree and the lesson the Buddha learned while sitting under it. Trees share nurturance through their roots, which means they can share emotions. This leads to empathy—putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. I like to think of empathy as understanding that everyone has a backstory. They existed before they walked into the room, and years before you met them. This proves you exist in a matrix of billions of people, all having their own human experience. You’re not separate from this truth