Where do I begin…
Art: In My Own Words
Some people make careers of raping words, butchering imagery, and stealing other people’s feelings. In my own words seems to be only way I am able to write and not personally view my work as fabricated. I often hear songs on the radio or in movies that are simply not written this way. The lyrics seem forced, not to mention elementary and just generally bad. I picture a dull person in a dull room typing; for each word that was their own I hear a right-click, synonyms, hmm… that would sound better. But no, it sounds fake and cheap. Don’t lose your voice. You chose those words and there is no sense in churching it up just for the sake of window dressing.
All of this brings me back to a phrase I scrawled down some time back: “What is art and can you influence your ability to create art?” In my opinion you cannot force anything beautiful. It must simply be. People who become great artists practice their craft for years, developing their style or voice. They do not just decide one day to make a profound piece of art and it happens. That’s absurd. So why do people feel that they can write something that is moving and powerful by using grandiose language?
Let the art come to you. Don’t push. If you force making love it is a crime called rape. If you force peace you inevitably create war. It is unnatural. Why is it people feel they can force art and still consider this acceptable, even beautiful to some? When this happens I detect the odors of cheapness, criminals, and a violation of art’s beauty. How dare you let a word-processing program tell you “Consider revising…Passive voice”? GO TO HELL PAPERCLIP!
I have decided that the only way I can sleep at night is to seek out these artistic criminals and tell them how they have offended my senses. Writing is only the tip of the iceberg of the entire rant that typically accompanies broaching the subject of public opinion and what is considered art.
I suggest, as an exercise, that everyone attend a music event or book signing of one of these frauds and heckle them if they are terrible. Tell them why it is so bad. Criticism is part of making anything better and they may thank you, however I doubt it. Do not encourage this irrational idea that what they are doing is artistic.
While I was reading Writing Toward Home by Georgia Heard, I came upon a brief section on “space” where she talks of forcing herself to write. By forcing herself to write is she perpetuating the problem or practicing her craft? This causes a dilemma. Is she stalking her art or is she wooing her art with persistence. Maybe I should reconsider my definition for forced art.
