We were lucky to catch up with Max Smoot recently and have shared our conversation below.
Max, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
I’m used to taking risks others refuse to take. I think the more money you have the more you’re afraid of taking risks. Like doing whatever you want instead of adhering to a system of economic fear and violence. I have had a hard time with publicity and marketing as a dissident in my very right wing town of Roseburg Oregon. It’s like business and socio-political suicide but I wouldn’t want to be catering to people who have unrealistic expectations or weird social requirements that tend to exclude people who represent the dissenting views.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m into art not as a commodity but a basic human right and a personal expression thing. I abhor the art industry and all its virtue signaling, I’ll forever be proud and supportive of real art values that don’t align with the economic slavery we observe in our community and beyond. I’m aware that this is not good for business. That’s why I ended up having to get a job at a newspaper company..: this only fuels my intention of starting my own newsletter and demonstrating the power of independent print media
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I’m too small to fail. I’m just a dude who makes art. I’m not trying to grow a business or be greedy. I think that’s an element of most real local businesses that are literally the nuts and bolts of our well-being as a community, that likely goes for every community. We’re facing a time when the most wealthy people are on track to basically own the whole country while this system churns out poor individuals and strips them of their basic human needs. The cost for this is a drop in the bucket compared to the loss of our creatives, disabled, elderly and simply the misfits who cannot or will not fall in line the way our rulers demand us to, literally with the threat of death. Recently it’s become clear we’re at war and the demand for art and real human experience, free thinking and mutual aid is at an all time high. I’d rather suffer with those who are disenfranchised than be a ‘success story’ in this socio-economic environment. It’s basically just a common value I think most people have but it’s beaten and threatened out of us by the Christian fascist regime and those who can resist are intimidated incessantly to the point of insanity. This is very isolating and I’m just pointing out its unacceptable. Give me liberty or give me death… constant suffering is fine too, that’s just part of the deal
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Stop supporting such bloated, incompetent corporations that rely on extracting wealth from the poor. Instead pay attention to the local businesses and communities that literally run the world. These two entities are inherently at war with eachother and there’s really no neutral ground… the public commons is sadly becoming more and more of an open-air prison.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Maxartsmoot.com
- Instagram: @maxartsmoot
- Facebook: @maxartsmoot
- Youtube: @maxartsmoot
Image Credits
Food not bombs at Frogleg studio
Max Smoot
Frogleg Studio Newsletter