2014-08-24 13:40:57
Sorry about the two blog postings on the same subject. Still learning how this works
2014-08-24 09:59:28
I think the the beauty of what a poet does lies in the depths they are will to descend to in considering their subject matter. This is an attention to details most people overlook either because they don't have the time or capacity to notice and reflect on them. This is why the poets are needed. Poets bridge the gap between the emotional and cognitive experiences common to most if not all people. In my opinion, this is what poets do, but not what motivates them to do it.
It has taken me years to even consider the idea that I might be a poet. I look at it as such an honorable title that it would be presumptuous of me to view myself as such. It is an honor best bestowed by those who read and critique that writer's work. I praise others as poets when examining their work is more than an intellectual exercise, but also an emotive experience. In this light I regard some visual artists, photographers, dancers and musicians as poets in their own right.
Submitted for your consideration is an essay I wrote nearly five years ago on my //headroominations.blogspot.com site, when the revelation of the parallel paths of musicians and writers first struck me. I learned something about myself in penning it.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Still Trying to Answer That Question
Why do I write? I 've been wrestling with that question for some time now, and a definitive, succinct answer to it eludes me. However, I recently inched a bit closer to an answer while listening to an interview with world renowned cellist, Yo-Yo Ma. I have known of Mr. Ma and his musicianship for many years, but had not listened to any of his work until the day of the referenced interview.
To say I was touched by his mastery of an instrument which has made his a household name would be an understatement. Emotionally, I was moved by the conversation that took place between his brain, heart, hands and cello. I want to move people that way. I want to touch people with words the way I was touched by those musical notes. Actually, it isn't so much the words I want to touch others with as much as the thoughts behind them; words are just a vehicle.
Why not take writing classes and attend writing workshops? The simple answer is: I dread convention and conformity. Everyday I go along to get along to survive. I adhere to regulations specific to my field of work, so when I embark on a creative venture, I want to be free. Real freedom is raw, unpolished, organic and honest - real freedom is natural. Real freedom is the embarrassing things young children say or ask with no regard for who might be in earshot. That kind of honesty is the antithesis of political correctness. It is neither good nor evil, black nor white, loving nor hateful; it just IS. It is truth as each indivdual perceives it. Albeit well intentioned, classes and workshops are designed to indoctrinate their participants. While I can never again be as honest as a young child, I find that level of honesty something worthy of striving toward in my writing. In my mind THAT is what KEEPING IT REAL is supposed to be about.
So, why do I write? I still don't have a definitive answer. I write, in part, because I find it liberating. While writing, I can shed my armor and allow myself to feel without hindrances and express those feelings with all the honesty I can muster. My hope is when others read my words they will sense the honesty and maybe evenbe moved, just as I was moved by Yo-Yo Ma's music.
-HymnAgen
2014-08-23 21:48:34
As a writer in a community of writers, I wanted to share this short essay I wrote a few years ago on my blog //headroominations.blogspot.com. The more I examine my passion, the better I understand myself. Submitted for your consideration...
Friday, January 1, 2010
Still Trying to Answer That Question
Why do I write? I've been wrestling with that question for some time now, and a definitive, succinct answer to it eludes me. However, I recently inched a bit closer to an answer while listening to an interview with world renowned cellist, Yo-Yo Ma. I have known of Mr. Ma and his musicianship for many years, but had not listened to any of his work until the day of the referenced interview.
To say I was touched by his mastery of an instrument which has made his a household name would be an understatement. Emotionally, I was moved by the conversation that took place between his brain, heart, hands and cello. I want to move people that way. I want to touch people with words the way I was touched by those musical notes. Actually, it isn't so much the words I want to touch others with as much as the thoughts behind them; words are just a vehicle.
Why not take writing classes and attend writing workshops? The simple answer is: I dread convention and conformity. Everyday I go along to get along to survive. I adhere to regulations specific to my field of work, so when I embark on a creative venture, I want to be free. Real freedom is raw, unpolished, organic and honest - real freedom is natural. Real freedom is the embarrassing things young children say or ask with no regard for who might be in earshot. That kind of honesty is the antithesis of political correctness. It is neither god nor evil, black nor white, loving nor hateful; it just IS. It is truth as each individual perceives it. Albeit well intentioned, classes and workshops are designed to indoctrinate their participants. While I can never again be as honest as a young child, I find that level of honesty something worthy of striving toward in my writing. In my mind that is what KEEPING IT REAL is supposed to be about.
So, why do I write? I still don't have a definitive answer. I write, in part, because I find it liberating. While writing, I can shed my armor and allow myself to feel without hindrances and express those feelings with all the honesty I can muster. My hope is when others read my words they will sense the honesty and maybe even be moved, just as I was moved by Yo-Yo Ma's music.
-HymnAgen
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