Happy creepy Armistice Day! It’s time to write a song.

In medieval times, numerologists thought the number 11, which is stuck between more “spiritually uplifted” (whatever that means) numbers like 10 and 12, had no divine connection. The number 11 was… an EVIL number!!!

In modern times, some New Age thinkers believe that the date 11/11/11 will be the day upon which the divine portal opens within each man, woman, and child, ushering in an age of wisdom, love, and truth.

Come on, people! Can we get a consensus here? Is Friday going to be a day of turmoil and malice, or of goodness and harmony? Destructive Apocalypse, or a new peaceful paridigm of blissfully shifted consciousness?

If I had to bet, I’d say it’ll be neither, or both. Just like every other day, ya know? As a species, we always seem to bring a little bit of heaven and a little bit of hell into our lives simultaneously. As individuals who have to wrestle with in the in-betweens, we’re capable of both good and bad (admit it, and get your hand out of that cookie jar!). Though there are very few black-or-white situations, hopefully we tend towards the light.

Recognizing, struggling against, and living into that giant spectrum of grays is where art happens. It’s WHY art happens. It’s why we make art, and why we need art. Maybe art doesn’t help us understand the mystery any better, but it can do something more: it can help us feel like we’re playing a part in the mystery, even if only for a moment.

Do you discover something about yourself when you create art? If so, keep using your unique voice.

So, my friends, today, Friday, 11/11/11, if you’re wondering whether you should kick that blind puppy or help the old lady across the street (I’m frightened if you’re actually weighing your options here), please help the elderly woman cross the street already! But if you’re pondering the bigger picture, pick up your guitar or your pen or your paint brush or your iPhone and color in the grays.

-Chris R. at CD Baby

P.S. If you’re in an Apocalypstic mindset, here are a series of videos for your viewing pleasure or pain: