Art and the Universe: Call and Response with the Void
I've been in a bit of an Art Funk, so I was going through one of Twyla Tharp's books: The Creative Habit. I had read it before, but maybe not as thoroughly. There's this part where you are to fill out your own “Creative Autobiography”, 33 questions that are supposed to help guide you. This is only partially about that.
Anyway, It took me days to fill out, because part way through I realized, I am not just a writer—I dabble in music, I obsess over the Fiber Arts. Such people Tharp thinks are cursed, as opposed to one obsession / gift to drive you. I understand why she thinks that. However, for someone with ADHD, juggling multiple plates like this suits me better. Part of this month wasn't spent writing, for a variety of reasons, but part of it was I needed to fulfill my musical creative yearnings, fulfill my fiber arts creative yearnings. I succeeded, not in the sense of producing much, but in listening to my needs. And magically, once I started paying attention to that part: I started being able to write again.
The Visual Novel Umineko no Naku Koro ni says the smallest amount of people needed to create a Universe is two. I think that's true of art as well, at least according to a lot of the answers I left. I wanted to be acknowledged. I wanted someone to respond to what I wrote or made. I was shouting into the Void, and I wanted the Void to at least greet me.
If you wrote and never showed anyone, and hypothetically, all evidence of these stories or poems were destroyed, and then you died, if no one saw the poems can anyone say you created art? This is a question I struggle with. If I don't call your work ”Art” in this case, it sounds like I am denying your work. Maybe I am? I am NOT saying The Industry ™ has to acknowledge you. I more mean, I would not know about Henry Darger if no one had discovered his work after his death. Was he content to keep his work to himself? I genuinely don't know. If you are: great. I am not. I want a Universe, even if it's a small one. And I have a hard time believing that's only true of me. If you wrote a fanfic and published it, are you really okay with no one else reading it? Not even kudos-ing it?
I think this is part of why I enjoy Tumblr's just leave a comment fest for commenting on works on Archive of Our Own (Ao3). An email notification that someone likes your story is wonderful. But an email saying someone left a fic on your comment, whether its key-smashing, or all caps unhinged yelling, or a thoughtful analysis, it's wonderful! The Void answered, if you will. And if you participate in that festival, YOU are the Void in this instance.
Even if I don't agree with Tharp about the idea of enjoying making multiple types of art, I very much recommend the book so far. It's given me a few ideas of how to proceed, and even for the writing, fortunately ”Be a Social Media Influencer” is NOT one of the steps I made thanks to this creative Autobiography. I may actually have to talk about my accomplishments more often but maybe it's good for me.
Anyway, if you'll excuse me, the summer comment fest is running through the 28th, I have some more fanfiction to comment on.
Feel free to at me on the Fediverse, please provide context though.