Ravensong Poetry And Writing Blog by Donovan Baldwin

BY DONOVAN BALDWIN

Labels: donovan baldwin, essay, writer, writing

By Donovan Baldwin

I write in pursuit of
Adventure beyond
The limits of myself.
Even if motionless,
Powerless, I can
With words, perform
The most powerful feats
Lifting myself to levels
Beyond the physical,
Moving the human soul.

Labels: adventure, donovan baldwin, poem, poetry, writing

By Donovan Baldwin

Why do I write?

Why does anyone write?

They have, they believe, something to say.

Right?

Well, for a "non-writer", that may be sufficient, but, the word "writer" is a slippery devil. It, of course, can be used to define anyone who takes up pen (or keyboard) and... well... writes.

Something!

Anything!

I have written standard operating procedures which were published and distributed to several sections of a military facility... made the "law of the land", if you will. Still, that, to ME did NOT feel like "writing".

Now, when I write poems, or even small screeds such as this one, I am, to my mind, a writer. In this writing, I am turning loose what a lady named Subi Nanthivarman so delightfully refers to as her "Writing Genie", or, apparently, "WG" to friends and coworkers.

Wonderful concept for me.

That weird little thing in my brain (in my case a Leprechaun-like creature), that has things to say and insists on sharing them with its human host in this symbiotic relationship. I don't control it, nor it me, yet, when it asks for pen or keyboard, I must comply.

For me, THAT is when I, with the aid of my faithful side-kicker, become a writer.

Why do I write?

Because as an obedient servant to the creature within, I must obey its demands or suffer the consequences.

Labels: donovan baldwin, poem, Subi Nanthivarman, writer, writing

By: Donovan Baldwin

I am a poet, or so I claim to be.

Have the "creds", as they say.

Never said I was a "good" poet... and, don't really care if I am.

I am a poet.

I see, hear, feel things coming from everywhere, forcing themselves into my perception and then back out of me as words, images, feelings which the reader may or may not "get". It was born within me as a poem and came out of me a poem. How others perceive it is beyond my control.

So, about these ideas which sometimes are transmuted into poems within my mind, heart, soul, body, and, yes, there IS a visceral, corporeal component... where do they come from?

Everywhere.

I can see a dog or a flower or a discarded beer can by the side of the road and get an idea. I can hear a sad song, a happy song, or a boring tedious song, read a passage in a book, follow some meandering path of thought within my mind, or overhear someone else's conversation and get an idea.

Sometimes, I respond, in my poem, sometimes in broken patches of poems, to the comments of someone who wasn't even speaking to me.

Sometimes, I like the way someone thinks, or expresses themselves SO MUCH, that I have an imaginary one-sided conversation with them... and they never know.

So, for your sake, unless you want to become part of a poem and never know it, be careful what you say... although I'd rather you didn't... for my sake.

Labels: donovan baldwin, ideas, poem, poet, writing

By: Donovan Baldwin

When I first put my comments here, on Blogger and social media, independent comments as opposed to comments on other comments, I was not sure what my goal was.

I wanted to write, and I wanted someone to read what I wrote, but, I had no larger goal than that.

Then, "that" happened. I HAD readers, and I was faced with a new choice.

Should I use these platforms to exercise mind control over my readers, amuse and amaze them, or, with blinding words and brilliant wit, offer them advice on how to live their lives (the big temptation)?

After some thought (I won't tell you how much or how little), I decided that I like you pretty much the way you are, and don't really have any major desire to change you.

Yet, that "advice" thing still nudged at the back of my mind, and my ego. So, after some thought, I decided to mainly talk about me and my thoughts, my musings, errant and otherwise, and out loud. I could tell you what I was feeling, thinking, remembering, and, if you liked it, you could respond or move on.

What I have found is that a lot of what I say resonates...not with everyone or every time, but, one human telling a story about themselves reminds another of a similar story, or provokes a thought about life or self.

Kind of like neighbors at the back fence chatting.

I like that.

I like hearing from friends.

Join me?

Labels: advice, change, comments, donovan baldwin, goal, social media, thought, writing

By: Donovan Baldwin

I came across the following is from an old dusty notebook of mine. I wrote it January 26, 1985. Just dug it up.

Every day, something must be written, or, it just sits there, gathering dust. Sherlock Holmes compared the brain to a collection of files, I believe. If our filing cabinets are not used, at least from time to time, the drawers are liable to rust up on us - and, we wouldn't want our drawers to get rusty, now would we? That's why I want to try and write something every day. When I'm writing regularly, Ideas come regularly. Sure, a lot of them don't develop into anything, but, at least they're there. Ideas breed ideas. Creativity breeds creativity. Thought breeds thought. Thought, creativity, and idea development can be improved or increase through practice. The transfer of thought to paper, the abstract imaging into concrete expression, is a skill, which like most other skills, can be Improved with practice.

I wrote that over 30 years ago. Haven't always lived up to it, but, I've tried. Still think it's a good idea.

Labels: donovan baldwin, Sherlock Holmes, write, writing, writing daily

By: Donovan Baldwin

Some of my recent posts, and, some of my older ones, have occasionally stirred up hornet's nests of controversy.

Unintended on my part, but, bound to happen upon occasion.

When I write, I seldom really write about "facts", factual things which can be proven. I write about my thoughts, which are usually within the realm of opinions, and, as they say, "Opinions are like (fill in the blank). Everybody's got one."

I try not to claim that MY opinions are "right", or the only possible opinions...just my opinions, beliefs, thoughts.

Of course, not everyone else is going to see things exactly as I see them. In fact, their point of view may be diametrically opposed to mine.

I used to get really upset when some of this opposition surfaced. It bothered me, and, I tried to find arguments and excuses.

But, over time, I came to realize that the commentator with the opposite view had just as much right to his or her "opinion" or "belief" as I did, and, I was just getting miffed because I wanted to be right, and, like most humans, wanted everybody to agree with me.

Well, the fact is that there are many times in our lives that "most humans" won't...agree with us, that is.

That's human. So's being upset by their open disagreement, and/or inability to see facts...or opinions and beliefs.

So, I'm over it...until the next time, of course, and, that's my opinion on that.

Labels: beliefs, donovan baldwin, opinions, writing

By: Donovan Baldwin

Got slightly "bummed out" earlier this morning reading some responses to a couple of my recent ramblings on a social media site.

Chose "bummed out" as a play on one of the discussions since it dealt with hobos, bums, and tramps.

That choice means I'm reaching the point where I can laugh and joke about it.

Point is, when people go in a negative direction after one of my posts, I feel badly. But, that's part of the deal.

I publish MY thoughts, which are not always going to be everybody else's thoughts. Once I put my thoughts "out there", using the words that make sense to me at the time of writing (i.e. before fully awake, or on a flood of emotion), they are fair game.

Part of what I do when I write is expose myself, at least some of my thoughts, hoping that, while people may be amused, they will also think.

If they think they have other opinions, I welcome that, and respect it.

I usually welcome active discussion, even if it deviates from my original narrative or thoughts...which, sometimes, IS just a story.

However, if I write about having ice cream after having my tonsils out, someone who doesn't like doctors, or ice cream, or tonsils, may say something that I feel is negative.

Well, I'm the one who chose to set up the situation in the first place. I did it because I am who I am. How can I stay mad at them for being who they are?  N

ot everybody likes rainbows and unicorns ALL the time.

Okay, where's the leprechaun with my coffee?

Labels: discussions, donovan baldwin, life lesson, thoughts, writing

By: Donovan Baldwin

It's amazing how a phone conversation with a loved one can perk you up. Had just such a conversation yesterday.

Doesn't have to be over the phone, of course. Face-to-face, even a letter or postcard, from someone close can really pick up your day.

Obviously, the more intense the relationship, the more love and connection between the people, the more rewarding the message, but, even a thoughtful note from a friend can lift someone's spirits.

Honestly, as much as I write, I'm not too good at this "writing to people" stuff. So, I'm thinking and writing about this to remind myself, as much as anybody else, that, reaching out to touch someone may take an effort, but, if you really care about them, it may be worth the effort.

My mom, who is going to be 100 in December, says that every day she goes to the mailbox, and usually finds a letter from a friend who writes her almost every day. Other than that, however, it's mainly bills and advertisements.

Her son?

Oh, I call once or twice a week.

Really should put a letter or postcard in the mail though. She needs to know somebody's thinking of her between phone calls.

I bet you know somebody who would love to hear from you.

Trust me, a few words, a note, from a loved one can change your whole day, week, maybe even your life.

Just musing in the morning.

Labels: donovan baldwin, friends, keeping in touch, life lesson, loved ones, writing

By: Donovan Baldwin

There wasn't going to be any musings and mutterings from me this morning.

There's a lot going on in my  life that's sapping my creative juices, and, I "just didn't feel like it".

At least that's how the day started, but, being the being I am, I began musing about that, seeing if I could squeeze out some thoughts.

I write my morning thoughts because, despite still being half asleep, and fuzzy brained, it is at this time of day that I feel most able to BE genuinely and originally creative.

As my day wears on, everything, good and bad, becomes a pile of tangled thoughts and issues, leaving me tired and not too forward looking at end of day.

In fact, I tend to get downright pessimistic in the evening.

But, even when I don't feel "good" in the morning, I always feel as if I'm starting with somewhat of a clean slate. If I have learned anything in 72+ years of life, it's that almost nothing remains the same.

Good times, fun things, come to an end, but, so do most bad things.

Sooner or later, we usually get a chance to start over, with something resembling a clean slate. No analogy is perfect, no aphorism sums up all wisdom in a few words, no internet graphic is going to contain all the factors that make up a miracle, but, time can heal, and can provide new opportunities.

The trick is not just to take advantage of them, but to expect them.

Labels: creative, daily writing, donovan baldwin, life lesson, sunrise, writing

By Donovan Baldwin

I hope no one who reads my often early morning ramblings, coded as "BC", expects deep thought.

After all the "BC" could stand for "Before Cogitation" despite actually meaning "Before Coffee".

Honestly, my intention is to, in most early morning cases, examine my thoughts while they are still, like the coffee, "unbrewed", as it were.

Normally, our thoughts get massaged, and messaged, as we move through our days. They get layered over with "facts", real and unreal, information, opinion, and our own thinking process.

It's not that I consider these morning musings to be somehow "more pure" in some way, as I am curious, about what the brain is really chewing on before it gets served its daily dose of caffeine and variouls meals and snacks.

I have to honestly say, that, sometimes, there ain't much meat there.

On the other hand, sometimes I find jewels in the residue of my night's sleep or yesterday's leftover cogitation.

I am one who enjoys the hunt, the creation, the creative process. That's why I have a notebook, and several index cards, which I carry around in my shirt pocket, that are filled with notes and ideas about things I would like to say, on the table beside me.

I think one of the lessons I have learned from writing these morning musings, and others throughout the day, is that THIS is where a lot of my ideas come from.

I stir up the pot of thought-grounds, pour a little typing-water over them and "Voila!", richer, fuller thoughts, and poems, that come later in the day.

Caution, writer brewing thoughts...

Labels: coffee, donovan baldwin, thought, writing

By Donovan Baldwin

I like to "wing it" in these "morning musings", my first thoughts of the day.

I'm still waking up and, at my age, don't want to break anything, including brain cells.

So, when I start, I often have no idea where my thoughts and comments are going to take me. Even with planning; notes on the pad by my chair, or lingering thoughts from my last moments in bed, the actual pathway of thought and comment is generally as hidden to me as it is to you...until it's actually on the screen.

It's good that I can go back and edit. I can change words, structure, flow, content, and so on.

My musings are a bit like life. I know what's happened in the past, and maybe even a general idea of what's coming, but, the details are never positive until "down on paper", you might say.

Unfortunately, in life, unlike writing down musings, "The moving finger writes; and, having writ, moves on: Nor all thy piety nor wit, shall lure it back to cancel half a line, nor all thy tears wash out a word of it."

Here, I can diddle around with my words, and thoughts, but, in life, we are stuck with what has been set down.

While there may be other "authors" writing parts of our story, we still have great power in our input. It behooves us to write the story of our life in a more planned and careful manner.

Labels: donovan baldwin, life, life lesson, thinking, writing

By Donovan Baldwin

Messages come to us in all kinds of ways.

We chat, text, make phone calls.

Heck! We can talk to almost anybody in the world with the technology available these days. We just have to install it and learn how to use it.

Of course, the media we use to transmit the message is never as important as the message itself.

For those of my era, I'm not trying to be Marshall McLuhan, here. "The medium is the message" was HIS message, but, I'm meandering in a slightly different direction. However, I've got to admit that the availability of the "medium" used makes the message more important, in a way.

I write.

One reason I write is because my mouth and brain are not too well connected. Get me on a phone, and you're likely to hear "er", "um", an occasional non sequitur, and just plain "I wonder why he said THAT?"

In other words, written here, I don't do well talking. I guess (See, I'm confusing myself.), that I am coming back to a common theme I have touched on before. Sometimes we have to look past the words in the message, or whatever else it contained, and look at the heart of the messenger.

If we know that love, admiration, and respect are there, and theirs, why be concerned if the words don't quite measure up? It's the thoughts, the person, and the thoughts of THAT person, that matter. Right?

Labels: chat, communicating, communication, donovan baldwin, messages, text, writing

By Donovan Baldwin

I'm a writer, a poet, and let me tell you, friend, it's easy to be creative when you're lying in bed and don't actually DO anything, and the brain's just wandering around, peeking into nooks and crannies.

Then, you get up, and, WHAM! There's life and the world staring you in the face, daring you to do something.

Yeah, life's mean like that.

We figure we're going in some direction, or, maybe just wandering around, looking at stuff and having a pleasant time, and WHAM! Life hits us in the face with something.

Could be good.

Could be bad.

Could be, if we're lucky, somebody else's problem.

But, maybe, sometimes, somebody else's problem is still our problem. Depends on how far we take this "family of man" idea.

I take it pretty far.

Somebody in Dubai or Antarctica gets a problem, I worry about them.

Really!

Maybe that's why we read news. Maybe it's NOT because we're just nosey and want to know other people's business and mishaps. Maybe it's because we care.

Nah!

I'm gonna go with nosey.

But, you know what?

I believe that caring is something you can learn. You walk around worrying about yourself all the time. Why not spare some of that for your neighbor?

No conclusions here.

Haven't had my coffee yet, but some poor soul won't get any coffee today.

I'm NOT sad, just concerned...musing in the morning about stuff.

Labels: article by Donovan Baldwin, creative, creativity, donovan baldwin, life, life lessons, poet, writing

By Donovan Baldwin

I try to put my musings in context, sometimes, at least.

I tell a story I've heard, write about something from my own past, talk about what I was doing when the thought came to me, etc.

Then I rattle on, and, somewhere near the end, I try to get YOU to understand WHAT I was really thinking about, and WHY.

Two days ago, I got some coffee at a convenience store, recently built on a previously vacant lot, and a memory popped into my head; a song from 1970, I believe, "Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell.

There's a couple of lines in it that seemed to fit my thoughts:

"Don't it always seem to go, That you don't know what you've got til it's gone."

I had just almost lost something very precious to me, without even really knowing or understanding what I had, or, what I was about to lose.

Don't get me wrong, I really knew and appreciated what I had, only I had never actually believed that I "had" it...if that makes sense.

Well, that song popped into my head, because I had almost lost something very valuable, and, as I thought more deeply about it, "overthink" it, I guess (which CAN be good), I understood the truth of the thought. We DON'T always appreciate people, relationships, yes, even things, until they are gone, or about to go.

Anybody who's ever held a yard sale, knows that. How much more important is someone you care about than some old lamp you've had for years?

People, relationships, are even more important. Don't wait until they are gone to realize what it is you have right now.

Labels: Big Yellow Taxi, donovan baldwin, Joni Mitchell, relationships, writing

By Donovan Baldwin

Here's a comment for the "wannabe writers" out there. For every post of mine you see, there are several that have been deleted before I hit "post", or saved somewhere else. For poets? I have about five poems in various stages at this moment. One was started a day or two ago, two were started today, one is about a month old, and the other has been driving me crazy since 2005. I have been published. I can honestly say "I am a published author."

I cannot say I've ever been paid.

You know, that part does not mean a thing to me. "I write, therefore I am." Or, perhaps, "I am, therefore I write." When I stop writing, I am NOT anymore. When I am NOT anymore, I stop writing. People will pay you for certain things you write and for certain forms of writing, but, a writer writes because he or she must write. It is as much a part of my, our, existence as eating, breathing, or making babies. It is an ecstatic thing. I find it almost Freudian, that, a lot of times, when I type, "write", my fingers type "writhe" as if in passion.

Gotta have it. Gotta do it. Gotta love it. Gotta take a cold shower now.

Labels: article by Donovan Baldwin, writer, writing

By Donovan Baldwin

Many people watching a writer at work probably wouldn't even realize that he or she was actually working. While the physical act of putting words on paper or into a computer is easy to recognize as "work" one of the hardest parts of any writer's task is not always coming up with the words to express an idea. For many of us, the most difficult part is coming up with an idea to write about!

While creativity is generally believed to be something that someone is born with, and maybe it is, everybody has some sort of creative streak within...no matter how well hidden. The trick is to find ways to tickle that creativity so that it produces at least the germ of an idea. Once many writers, and other artists, have that germ of an idea, the article, or statue, or poem, or painting will almost produce itself.

Below are 4 tips on how to wake up the sleeping giant of creativity within and put it to work.

1. Yoga and Meditation - Alternative Routes to Creativity

Most people want to attack a problem head on. For the artist or writer, however, that approach often just creates another problem. Do the words, "writer's block" mean anything to you? Hmmm? It seems that the harder we try to attack the creativity problem the harder and thicker the wall becomes between the conscious mind and the ideas that may be lurking just on the other side.

Yoga, meditation, long walks and other such physically relaxing and sometimes demanding activities actually tend to dissolve the barriers and allow us to access the ideas that have been hiding behind them. To express it another way, think of ideas becoming frightened and curling up like porcupines when they know we are looking for them. When we appear to be ignoring them, they uncurl and expose themselves to our subconscious which in turn puts them on a fast elevator up to the conscious mind where they seem to appear out of nowhere.

2. Creativity Is Your Job - So Show Up For Work

Back in school, we were given study tips that often included this one; study at the same time and in the same place. That sounds a little like "showing up for work". Freelance writers in particular often fall prey to not having a place to go to and a time to be there. Obviously, if the idea comes at half past midnight, in the middle of your morning shower, or while having sex, that's when you should get it down. Okay, delay that last one a little bit.

On the whole, however, to produce a somewhat steady stream of creativity, not to mention the output which should result there from, it is important to prepare an "office", even if it is a table on your patio. That's where you show up and expect your creative muse to meet you. Dock its pay if it is late.

3. Ideas Are Everywhere - Be Prepared For Them

In this crazy business of writing, or painting, or sculpting, ideas are all around. The trick is to catch them and keep them. The chance comment of a friend, a sound bite on a TV news show, an obituary, the neighbor's new car, the local high school football team, your spouse's opinion on the TV sound bite, a paragraph in a chapter in a second hand book you bought for $2.99. These can all hold the germ of the idea that later becomes the article, the poem, the short story, or the book.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that once you catch on to this, you will find yourself with more ideas than you can remember or develop at any given moment. That's why you want to have a notebook, diary, or journal to jot down the basic idea and a quick development if that's available. You might also want to invest in a small recorder so that you can dictate ideas while driving or at other times that writing might be difficult. This is a great suggestion if you have ever awoken with a great idea in the middle of the night and found that you have completely forgotten it when you wake up in the morning.

4. Your Brain Is Already Full Of Ideas - Put Your Built-In Search Engine To Work

Your subconscious is a brown-noser. It just can't wait to show you what it's done for you while you were sleeping or busy with another problem. As you lay in bed at night waiting to fall asleep, tell it forcefully and directly to come up with some ideas while you're asleep. This is not 100% perfect, but it will produce fruit from time to time. Unfortunately, the ideas often appear in the middle of the night (see tip #3) although you will often awaken with a great idea.

By the way. Have you ever heard about great discoveries being made while people sleep? Many of these stories are true.

It often happens that concentrating on a problem and then letting go of it to work on other things often produces the same effect as "sleeping on it". More than one cognitive flash has come about after the thinker let go of the problem. During sleep, your brain is at work replenishing neurotransmitters that organize neural networks essential to remembering, learning, performance and problem solving, and this activity includes tracking down and organizing seemingly random pieces of data into ideas!

There you are! Four tips just like I promised.

Oh! Where did I get the idea for this article?

Well, I was reading some notes I had made about a year ago, and....

Donovan Baldwin is a Texas writer and a University of West Florida alumnus. He is a member of Mensa and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. In his career, he has held many managerial and supervisory positions. However, his main pleasures have long been writing, nature, and fitness. In the last few years, he has been able to combine these pleasures by writing poetry and articles on subjects such as yoga, writing, nature, animals, the environment, global warming, happiness, self improvement, health, fitness, and weight loss. He has collected several of his articles on health and weight loss at http://nodiet4me.com/articledirectory.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?4-Tips-For-Writers-On-How-To-Create-Some-Creativity&id=520028

Labels: article by Donovan Baldwin, article ideas, articles, creativity, donovan baldwin, get ideas, internet articles, writing, writing articles

By Donovan Baldwin

Years ago, while I was a student at Pensacola Catholic High, the nuns, and Sister Mary Fides, in particular, tried to make sure that I, and my fellow students, understood how to write, and speak, "proper English". Simultaneously, they offered us several works of literature by a wide range of the "best" authors, at least as the literati of the period believed them to be.

I was often confused by the fact that these "best" authors they recommended seemed to ignore, somewhat indiscriminately, the rules of grammar and usage which were being drilled into my head.
The fact that I was an aficionado of poetry, science fiction, westerns, and mystery stories, in addition to a coerced reader of classics, simply made my personal understanding of what and how one "should" write even more muddled. Oddly, however, the writers who seemed to be best at ignoring the rules were often the most interesting, enjoyable, and easiest to read.

My own early attempts at writing were feeble and secret, mainly because I knew that I would be laughed at, or drummed out of English class, for my intemperate, and amateurish attempts to stay within the confines of what the nuns would consider to be "proper English composition". In fact, on at least one occasion, I was lectured by the redoubtable Sister Mary Fides because I had attempted to write a paper in a style imitative of one of my favorite mystery/adventure story writers.

Over the years, I have come to understand the differences that exist between knowing the textbook way of doing things and the way they are actually done.

I have also come to realize that writing for oneself, the intellectuals, and the masses, requires the ability to adapt to the situation.

Obviously, if you wish your work to be praised by the intellectuals, or those who consider themselves to be "experts" on a style of writing, you may have to write at a different level, and in a different manner, than if you want to write for the masses. By the way, if you only wish to please yourself, write as you damn well want to!

A hundred or so years ago, the "masses" and the "intellectuals" were much different from each other in terms of society, but, in terms of readership, not much different. You almost had to be somewhat of an intellectual to enjoy reading, and somewhat of an intellectual to enjoy, and practice, writing. Today, modern marketing and publishing activities, combined with a much larger group of "writers" seems to me to have created wider gaps between the groups with large numbers of people spilling into the gaps from either side.

Poetry was, and still is, somewhat different from most other writing, but even it has become more the interest of the "common" man or woman...both as reader or writer.

It is no longer necessary to rhythmically and logically bind your passages together in what many would consider to be the style of a toothpaste jingle writer. Nor, is it de rigueur to spout stream of consciousness prose to the beat of a bongo drum to be considered a poet...and a good one at that!

In fact, almost any style, any subject, and any approach can find its leaders and followers in today's poetry world. However, despite the appearance of lawlessness in the land of poesy, some absolutes still remain.

Good poetry should be real, not artificially connived and contrived to appear to be...well...good poetry. A computer can create things that rhyme and scan...even a poem, but only the human heart can create poetry. The bar of soap in your bathroom can evoke more than just a sales jingle, but what it evokes will depend on your beliefs, feelings, dreams, hopes, and expectations; most of which should go beyond simply getting your hands clean.

Writing good poetry in the 21st century is almost certainly an easier task than it was two hundred years ago, but, by the same token, it presents the poet with more competitors for the eye and ear of the reader or listener. For this reason, many poets go to extreme lengths, just as the marketers of many other products, to make their poem stand out in the sea of material which the poetry fan of today can choose.

However, in the end, most of the best poems will be those written by those who are driven to write them.

I hope you will check out some more of my poetry, and other writing, at http://ravensong.4t.com.

Labels: donovan baldwin, Pensacola Catholic High School, poems, poetry, writing, writing poetry

By Donovan Baldwin


Okay, I know this is not perfect, but, I was trying to clarify my thoughts about the "meaning" of artistic expression and the making of "good" or "bad" art.

I have always been ot the opinion that technical "goodness" or "badness" of a piece of art, a painting, a poem, whatever, is not the key issue in evaluating something as "art". Sure, it plays a role in assessing the artistic endeavor, just as height, weight, eye color, and so on are part of a human being, but, the humanity is more than just the technical attributes.

FOR ME, there had to be something of value in what the artist/writer had intended and how well they conveyed the idea, the dream, the image, the emotion, the message. That's one reason I like to read poetry written in English by people for whom English is NOT their native language. Quite often they convey, in incorrect English, not only an emotion or meaning, but, they often do it in ways that show novel uses or interpretations for the words they use.

In my thoughts, it's what the artist puts into the work, and what can be gotten from it, that matters, not the technical ability to perform the poetic or artistic act.

Kind of like making love to someone you really love. There may be people more skilled in the arts of love, but, being with this person, doing what you, and they, can do for one another can make it great sex.

But, I was still searching for an image or a story to explain how I felt.
Well, after coffee this morning, while looking out the window, it came to me as a story. A fable-like story, but, one that captured for me what I was thinking and wanting to say:

Death of An Artist

Artists and writers have often been involved in socially reforming movements. Many have used their skills to advance and enhance these movements, and many have died in the process.

I imagined an artist, a painter, who was trying to use his skills and vision to assist in the overthrow of a vicious and tyrannical government.

He is in his studio, prepared to paint a portrait which will arouse the people to the cause, but, before he can begin, troops of the state break in. He is warned not to touch anything, but, knowing he is going to be left with a blank canvas, he grabs a brush and begins painting rapidly.
The troops fire, and the painter falls dead, his brush leaving a bloody red trail down the canvas.

After his body is carried away, his compatriots enter his studio and see the white canvas with the few slashing marks of color, and the blood-red streak left as he fell to the floor.

They take the canvas, and it becomes a symbol of defiance and resistance which helps push the populace to overthrow the oppressive regime.

Technically, the "painting" is not a painting at all. However, to me, it IS a work of art, a work of an artist. His message is boldly and obviously visible for those who can see beyond the technicalities and into the soul of the work and its creator.

I don't know if this clarifies anything for you, but, it does for me. If you stayed with me this long, thanks for reading.

Labels: art, donovan baldwin, poetry, revolution, what is art, writing

By: Donovan Baldwin

I love reading essays of all kinds.

Most of what passes for the essay today is generally in the form of magazine articles, and may have more to do with weight loss, or sex than the human condition.

However, it has been my pleasure for many years to read, not only current authors, but giants of literature such as Samuel Johnson, William Hazlitt, Thomas De Quincy, Thoreau, Santayana, and so on.

I read for both enlightenment and amusement, and have enjoyed the insight and humor of Gilbert Keith Chesterton, Washington Irving, Mark Twain, James Thurber, and Richard Armour, to name just a few.

Over the last few years, life has forced me, or I have let it force me, to concern myself with more practical matters, and my enjoyment of a few minutes with a great mind has suffered for it. I have, in the past, read and written poetry, and this too has been superseded by other activities.

But, I have come to a time in my life when downsizing and downshifting are taking precedence. Therefore, it was not surprising when recently, while going through a box of books, most of which were destined to be sold at Half-Price Books, I uncovered a hardbound copy of "A Treasury of the Essay From Montaigne to E. B. White", edited by Homer C. Combs. It wound up in the "to be sold" box, but later the same day, I recovered it and placed it on my desk.

It was a few days later that, while running a tub of hot water in which to soak, and looking for a book to occupy my mind, I noticed this treasury waiting patiently, as good books will do.

I slid into the water and opened at random to an old friend, the aforementioned Dr. Johnson, and read the following words.

"I have often thought that there has rarely passed a life of which a judicious and faithful narrative would not be useful. For, not only every man has, in the mighty mass of the world, great numbers in the same condition with himself, to whom his mistakes and miscarriages, escapes and expedients, would be of immediate and apparent use; but there is such an uniformity in the state of man, considered apart from adventitious and separable decorations and disguises, that there is scarce any possibility of good or ill but is common to human kind. A great part of the time of those who are placed at the greatest distance by fortune, or by temper, must unavoidably pass in the same manner; and thought, when the claims of nature are satisfied, caprice and vanity and accident begin to produce discriminations and peculiarities, yet the eye is not very heedful or quick which cannot discover the same causes still terminating their influence in the eh same effects, though sometimes accelerated, sometimes retarded, or perplexed by multiplied combinations. We are all prompted by the same motives, all deceived by danger, entangled by desire, and seduced by pleasure."

- Samuel Johnson, Biography

As with many essays, there was a great deal of common sense and insight in that paragraph which would have been given an "F" in many modern classes on how to write. It was a great example of why I love the essay so much, but it was also a great example of why so many today hesitate to read thoughtful pieces.

We expect the meaning of a piece of writing, or even of a movie, to be made clear to us immediately. The longer the work, the more the modern reader or viewer expects, perhaps even hopes, that all meanings will be made visible and understandable in an unfolding manner, much as is seen in a recent car commercial in which the actors comment on the big words floating around them and on the voice of the announcer.

compounding the difficulty are two facts:

1. Essays, at least those of intelligence and insight tend to be written in some form of scholarly jargon and directed at a special audience, not the average citizen. This was true of Samuel Johnson in his day, and is still quite common today.

2. Many essays which may be considered classics were written at a time when English sounded, and was written, much differently from today's forms. Once again, the quote from Johnson, above, illustrates this point.

Our schools do not teach, and society does not seem to see a need to learn, either the ability and patience to interpret any sort of difficult concepts or to understand thoughts and wisdom expressed in older forms of the language. That is left to scholars.

However, reading, as pointed out by the Abbe Ernest Dimnet in his great little book, The Art of Thinking, should always be active. That is, the reader should be willing to make an effort to understand what has been written. Also, a modern reader should understand that the knowledge or information contained in a work will probably not be understood on the first pass, or even, probably, the second.

Good writing often contains within the visible words merely a summation of the thoughts and ideas of the author. As a practice for myself, I wrote a paraphrase of the quote above.

"I have often thought that it has seldom occurred that someone has lived whose life and experiences could not be useful if presented in a judicious and thoughtful narrative.

You see, when you stop to consider the vast number of individuals in the world, there are going to be many in the same condition. Presenting to these people a story of HIS mistakes and miscarriages, HIS escapes and solutions could provide them with immediate insight into their own state, which could be of value in ordering their own lives.

While there are exceptions due to personal states, conditions, and actions; there are still areas in which all men live similar lives. In fact, there is hardly any sort of good or bad that cannot be considered, at least possibly, common to all men. Even the lives of those who could be considered the best or worst, the highest or the lowest of mankind, or those most greatly influenced by chance, personality, or accident, most of the time will be spent in the same manner as that which could be called the life of the "common man".

Once the basics of life, and even the special circumstances and events of these people, have been accomplished and observed, it is not hard for most to see that the same basic sets of events play out in much the same way as with anyone else, and end in the same manner.

We are all prompted by the same motives, all deceived by danger, entangled by desire, and seduced by pleasure."

That would appear to give at least an overview of Dr. Johnson's intent, and I am happy with my "translation". However, even as I wrote the words, having read and "understood" the original paragraph, I made changes and adjustments. A couple of times, I deleted what I had written and rewrote it to better express my understanding of the message.

To be honest, however, were I to perform the same exercise tomorrow, I would probably find that I had written an entirely different piece which still, somehow, contained the essence of the author's original work but expressed in yet another manner.

Most thoughtful writing is actually written and rewritten several times in order to make the piece say what the author wants it to say. It is commonly necessary for the reader to read and reread several times in order to more fully understand the message broadcast over time by the author.

Essays can be particularly challenging because the author is generally challenged to insert so much meaning into such a small package. It can be equally challenging for the reader to extract all the meaning on the first try. While for me, one fun part of the essay is simply in the reading, following the ebb and flow of the wordsmith's art, another type of fun is working the puzzle the author has set before me. Often, in fact, the harder he has worked to make the subject easy to understand, the more meaning he has hidden within his work.

I have left the essay behind for many years, but now my Treasury of the Essay is either beside my bed or on the end table beside me. I will be visiting my friends much more often in the future.

Labels: donovan baldwin, essay, poetry, reading essays, Richard Armour, Samuel Johnson, Thoreau, writing