expressing an o(pain)ion

Art is an expression which I see restrictions on daily.How do you restrict an expression or freedom?Life is also full of restrictions.Like art some of life's restrictions are meant to keep you from progressing and some of them are for the safety of you and those around you.Who makes these restrictions?I understand that life and art have obvious restrictions being in life not to use drugs or in art not to paint a nude in a family friendly venue but,aside from the obvious things most human beings would call common sense why is there the artistic interrogation when it comes to placing artwork somewhere.When you are judged based on others views,opinions,restrictions or beliefs are you really exercising your own imagination?Also why must you reach a point of notoriety or fame to overcome that restriction?Are there different rules for different people?In life you have people that use drugs.You have those who seek help.You also have judgement there too!Your freedom is not freedom in the sense of I cant count on the many times any one individual who truly wants to get sober cannot receive help yet the person with the money,fame,or notoriety is accepted into treatment no questions asked.They somehow have skipped this interrogation.What if the individual without the resources has a stronger intent to get sober?Like art there is restrictions.And these restrictions are not always based on the best interest of the individual.In my opinion the restrictions are based on underlying factors whatever they may be in any one given situation.I have personally hit restrictions in both art and life.In art I have been widely accepted and widely disliked depending on the viewer but, one factor that seems to always remain the same is that as I gain more notoriety as an artist via newspaper articles,galleries,or things like being placed in the rock and roll hall of fame I am able to overcome these so called restrictions.I am happy to have my expression and freedom slowly released as an artist but,it is not fair and wouldn't be a problem provided no such restrictions existed in the first place...In life and sobriety before I got sober I was offered help when I had health insurance.Although when I chose to consciously get sober and had no money or insurance well now there were these restrictions.There was a list of rules and things for which when I had money before just were not a problem.Now I understand the money has to come from somewhere and that if everybody wasn't interviewed to an extent well the money would run dry and the system to get people sober would cease to exist.On another note though I have also seen in my own life and others people turned away because a treatment center was helping those from jail or those that had insurance and there were no more beds or room.Now what if the person turned down truly wants to get sober with every ounce of their soul and just needed that helping hand.?And what if that artist provided they did not have to paint around this set of rules or restrictions was allowed to let this imagination and creativity flow?Would that be preventing or promoting progress?Does that become counter productive?Is this just a chance we take given our mistakes or our job title?Restriction in itself is a funny word....It obviously means to restrict something. Leaving it open to restrict both negative and positive actions.A double edged sword.Now understand this blog is not a complaint and it is not meant to down grade any system or venue.It is only an observation on how rules change given an individuals status,how personally living both sides at one time or another I have seen it.Now me being able to express my opinion I can bring it to the peoples attention provided they have not already realized it,and it is only an opinion and like any opinion or given situation there is always a variable,exception,and it is always given to change at any one moment.I will leave it on this note.When you see a homeless person what is your first thought?It may be sad,bad,or ignorant based on a lack of understanding.Now that person may continue to be homeless until they pass or they may go on to own a company but,We usually just see that they are homeless.Now I have had many accomplishments for which I am happy about but also consider vanity and am very humble about.Now when you look at the fact that 4 yrs prior to having my art shown in the rock and roll hall of fame I was walking the streets homeless,I overdosed on 6 1/2 times the lethal limit of a drug and nearly died 5 yrs ago,and that I as a child used to use drugs with my mother who overdosed shortly after my 18th birthday,and that I now have over 5 yrs sober. What happens in your head as a mental process?Do you see a success story or do you look at me different cause I was homeless for three months and had some hard knocks in life?Are you,me or we as a whole being restrictive?Just food for thought..