(I wrote this to a former student and musician who posted on FB a cool bit of music video of him playing a work in progress. He called it “trash” and, well …. This happened.)

Stop calling your contributions to the world “trash”. War is trash. Pollution is trash. Rape is trash. Overpricing is trash. Ripping people off, whether by gun or pen, that is trash. Lying to people for political purposes or personal gain is trash. 

Coming up with a melody and putting it out into the world is not trash. Creating a pleasant sound or sight or story is not trash. Art is not trash, it is a gift offered to the world, and each of us are allowed to take what touches us as we wish. 

Art is love, my friend, and love is never trash.