A number of weeks back, several friends sent me the same link to a wonderful video of Elizabeth Gilbert speaking on the angst of artistic genius. I'm not purporting to be a genius, but I have had my share of artistic challenges.
My first true passion was acting. I felt more alive when acting, soaking up the spot light and wrestling with the nuances of character development than I did living my real life. I achieved some modest success while making acting my hobby throughout my life including some professional time with a North Carolina Shakespeare Company, and several cable-run commercials. During college I discovered creative writing and I've had a few article published (during my time as a pastor). Sermon writing, at its best, is a highly creative venue and I relished in both the creation and presentation of sermons for 15 years.
In each of my creative adventures, I discovered the same reality – satisfaction of the urge to create and the compulsion to be a part of something new and dramatic is fleeting.
Often, upon reflection on my own creative internal disturbance, I am left with the following apparent and unsavory thought - The creative spirit, as embodied in so many artists, is its own bane. The artist can devote his/herself to the task fully and in doing so risk a rapid burn or can deny the very passion of the soul and lead a life of frustrated mediocrity. My trouble with this thought is that I don’t want it to be true. Is it possible for an artist to pursue his passion and not self destruct? Is there something in the nature of art that demands the humanity of the artist and leaves her broken?
There is more to say here, but I would rather leave it for your comments. So, dear reader, is your artistic passion dangerous?
You know I have no romantic sentimentality about these sorts of things. My opinion is your art is what you make of it. If you're (meaning anyone, not you, Kim) determined to be a struggling, suffering artist then guess what? You'll likely struggle and suffer. I think there are plenty of artists out there who treat their work as a job - a job they love and are good at - and are both productive and fulfilled. I dislike the encouragement and view of artists as people on the brink of madness. Get a grip and either do your art or don't do it. It's all a matter of choice.
ReplyDeleteDena - you are right, in part. I agree we decide our life journey and choose to do our art, or not.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I hear your 'dislike' in any encouragement in the madness mode - yet it persists.
Elizabeth Gilbert has some great thoughts as to why this is true culturally and I am curious as how others understand this element to artistic self-experience.
I’m thinking here – but I think there is a difference between what I would call the art of one’s craft – developing the deliberate and advanced skill set needed to paint, sculpt, write, etc.- and the passion of inspiration. One is about choice and skill – the other is more about being affected by something that seems a bit ‘other worldly’ – the muse, the divine, the message of another moving through you…
but, maybe i'm just promoting artictic insanity, again. :)
It depends on perspective, I suppose. I say no. It feeds me, it takes me, it is me. My husband would say it destroyed our marriage. I would say it liberated me.
ReplyDeleteOnce I believed that writing would have to take me somewhere dark. Now I simply let it take me. Not that I'm a writer, I am simply me. And sometimes when I let myself flow, I write. Sometimes when I let myself flow, all I do is feel. Either way, to deny that in myself is to deny who I am. I can't imagine that is what we're supposed to do in our lives, is it?
i sink in emotion when creativity grabs ahold. sometimes dark, sometimes not, but sink i do. and temporarily leave this space into a world of my own. does it leave me broken? nope, don't believe so. even in the dark there is something to discover...
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