Re: lost inspiration
Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 10:59 am
Stromkraft,
Interesting take there. Pure art should challenge capitalism, and every other ism, because purity is beyond isms. I think of All You Need Is Love by the Beatles. Although it can be dismissed as unrealistic idealism, it still challenges the status quo. It leaves like a question mark hovering in the back of people's minds. I'm excited by this thought. But the Beatles had talent and popularity, so their art had impact. I feel like getting together with really tuned in people and creating some profound songs. Unlikely. You have to be on the same wavelength philosophically and strategically.
You also reminded me of an additional category to pure art and political art: there is commercial art - producing art for business purposes. That has twisted into a strange situation where the songs of some pop stars are actually advertisements for the pop star. The pop star says "You're dancing with will.i.am and Britney" or whatever. How far can it go? "I am popstar xyz, buy this record cos then you'll be cool. Buy this record, buy this record." It's kind of postmodern but also the lowest base capitalism. It's also weird that famous successful people would be so desperate.
Tom,
You got me thinking about reversing thoughts. Instead of society having what the artist needs to survive, what if the artist has what society needs to survive?
As far as going against society, I've done it for 35 years without reward - wrote a book, screenplays, and songs. Absolutely exhausted now. Being tough is the answer for a while, but a point comes when you are absolutely ground down. Nothing but worldly success can rekindle the passion then, afaik. Spent the last 15 years on a book that society needs but does not want (15 years because questioning society opens up a can of worms that takes years to sort out, which explains why no one does it). Ouch. Part of the inspiration is to have a big impact on society. If you cannot succeed in that then a large chunk of the inspiration goes. So there is the issue of toughness vs reality. Can you be tough and continue on even knowing that you will not succeed?
The OP question was finding inspiration. What was the original inspiration for her/him? That's a good question for all of us. I know jazz guys whose original inspiration was Jimi Hendrix and the ended up doing mindy jazz using constantly changing modes and odd time signatures, and they wonder where the passion went! For me it was the Beatles. They were like UFOs descending and talking to me in the working class suburbs of Sydney. I wondered, Where did all that magical creativity come from?
Interesting take there. Pure art should challenge capitalism, and every other ism, because purity is beyond isms. I think of All You Need Is Love by the Beatles. Although it can be dismissed as unrealistic idealism, it still challenges the status quo. It leaves like a question mark hovering in the back of people's minds. I'm excited by this thought. But the Beatles had talent and popularity, so their art had impact. I feel like getting together with really tuned in people and creating some profound songs. Unlikely. You have to be on the same wavelength philosophically and strategically.
You also reminded me of an additional category to pure art and political art: there is commercial art - producing art for business purposes. That has twisted into a strange situation where the songs of some pop stars are actually advertisements for the pop star. The pop star says "You're dancing with will.i.am and Britney" or whatever. How far can it go? "I am popstar xyz, buy this record cos then you'll be cool. Buy this record, buy this record." It's kind of postmodern but also the lowest base capitalism. It's also weird that famous successful people would be so desperate.
Tom,
You got me thinking about reversing thoughts. Instead of society having what the artist needs to survive, what if the artist has what society needs to survive?
As far as going against society, I've done it for 35 years without reward - wrote a book, screenplays, and songs. Absolutely exhausted now. Being tough is the answer for a while, but a point comes when you are absolutely ground down. Nothing but worldly success can rekindle the passion then, afaik. Spent the last 15 years on a book that society needs but does not want (15 years because questioning society opens up a can of worms that takes years to sort out, which explains why no one does it). Ouch. Part of the inspiration is to have a big impact on society. If you cannot succeed in that then a large chunk of the inspiration goes. So there is the issue of toughness vs reality. Can you be tough and continue on even knowing that you will not succeed?
The OP question was finding inspiration. What was the original inspiration for her/him? That's a good question for all of us. I know jazz guys whose original inspiration was Jimi Hendrix and the ended up doing mindy jazz using constantly changing modes and odd time signatures, and they wonder where the passion went! For me it was the Beatles. They were like UFOs descending and talking to me in the working class suburbs of Sydney. I wondered, Where did all that magical creativity come from?
