I Can See Your House From Here - Archives
vol 2 number 40
Creation feels really good in all its forms.
Too many people get tied up in defining creation in its most strict form: taking something from nothing, allowing the muse to channel through your mind, soul and body to fill up a void with art. But just as destruction is not confined to taking something and turning it into nothing, creation can be viewed in a wider scope. People forget that interior designers, architects, remix engineers, and layout designers are artists, too.
I work in many different fields: primarily, I write and play music. I've dabbled in video, photography, and a few other areas, too. It's irritating at times, to want to do some many things; it can also lead to a 'jack of all trades, master of none' situation. I can look around at the dedicated musicians, painters, writers, and filmmakers around me, and the levels of competence and achievement are notably different. Still, being able to do all that I can has enabled me to have near total control over every project that I undertake; even if I'm not working the board or the camera, I have an understanding of what's going on in that position, and it allows me to communicate and plan better than most.
Best of all is that I don't really have to worry too much about writer's block. It can be irritating to pick up my guitar and play an hour's worth of garbage, but I can always jump over to Photoshop or my latest screenplay or my video camera. My output is not as prolific as some in any given area, nor necessarily as solid, but in general it never stops.
I've learned that different mediums of expression offer different levels of the same. Most of what I do involves telling a story, whether on film, paper, or in music. Written stories involve a lot of work, because so much is left to the imagination. This is a real pain in the ass sometimes, because it's easy to think that you've painted the verbal picture the way you want, only to discover that other people see it entirely differently. On the flip side, this allows for a lot of ambiguity, if that's your bag (it is one of mine). There's something magical about the written word, too, because it is the one creative method that I practice that is ultimately within the creator's control.
On the far side of this is film. In some sense, film is my favorite, because it's less difficult to get the picture across. If there's something that you have trouble describing, you can simply film it (or, in this day and age, build it in a computer). You also have total control over the whole dimension of the creation -- the video, the audio, the pacing and timing of the final product. Making a film, though, can be a horrifying experience, even having your fingers in every pie. The most difficult part is translating what you (as the writer or director) see in your head translate to the screen; it seems so easy, but the camera is not as natural a tool as one might hope. And then there are the other people; unlike writing, it is nearly impossible to make a film without help. There are engineers, cameramen, set designers, musicians, and -- oh, yes, the actors.
Music can be both, or neither. Today's technology has become so simplified and affordable that anyone can record their music. Of course, as Daniel Farris of Lunasect will tell you, this 'anyone' more often than not shouldn't be given access to this technology, but that's a discussion for another time. There is no visual element to music (taking away the ever present MTV), which leaves a little room for imagination, but also allows a lot of detailed creation, should the musician desire it.
There are a million other mediums, and a millions differences between them. Some people will argue that some are stronger than others, and everyone will have different reasons for the type that they prefer. That's all fine, too: different strokes, and all that. The important thing is that people are taking the time to enjoy some of the creations around them, as often as possible.
There are three forms of action in life: creative, destructive, and stagnant. In every act of creation -- and the nihilist might argue that in every act of destruction -- there is beauty and expression to be found. There are some people that recognize this -- primarily, they are the people that inhabit those positions in life. More of the artistic elite might do well to learn to recognize the other expressive acts in the world. There's a lot to appreciate -- and a lot to learn.
Kenn McCracken is too busy creating to think about what he's doing.