Painting in an ivory tower

This kind of topic is an invevitability. If only it could be full of praise, hope and beauty, but my experience here is facilitating my progression away from what seems to be 'successful work'. Now I have visiting artists coming and showering me with their ideas, thought processes, values and the rest and it seems to cause both confusion in terms of the goals of my work and a doubting of my aesthetic sense, which I think is really showing in the work I'm doing now.
There was a time when the intent of my work was more clear. It went something like this: Art is a pure and noble and spiritual form of expression, an act that the planet and the people in it need and appreciate. I can enter into this dialogue in a manner that takes art making to an even finer distinction by speaking to the people in the world of the song in their heart. People have feelings, nerve endings that extend out beyond themselves and their personal concerns and connect to the preciousness and fragility of all things that are living. We can sense these living things, their joys and their sorrows and there is a way to create a window in which to become aware of our nerve endings that connect us to a universal heart of compassion and empathy. And that in creating, which is a purely generative act, one can break ground towards some of Hegel's lofty metaphysical theories involving the evolution of consciousness via the creation of energy.
Maybe this can be exacerbated in an academic setting if those who are hired in a mentoring capacity are up to the job of inspiring greatness of being amongst participants. They ought to know of personages on the contemporary and historical scenes who can awaken something of a transcendental perspective. I look for a wholistic view from my mentors, one which shows insight. If we are on a precious and fleeting journey on an earthly plane, then why hold back the full resplendent flowering of greatness? All sentient beings have the capacity for exceeding their own expectations. What should be avoided are the closets and cocoons of complacency and self establishment that enables people to stop challenging themselves and that leaves them in a place where nothing phenomenologically exciting is happening.