Poetry Can Save You
Ever since reading “Full of It” that’s the phrase that’s been stuck in my head. Its not that I have never felt that way but I have never seen a phrase I believe in more whole heartedly. After reading “I Thought You Were a Poet” I believe in it even more because while many poets may be psychotic, it’s their art that saves them. I guess I will always be able to identify with poets because I have had my share of “behavioral health” problems, and something about being in a dark place mentally is very poetic. Feeling the highest highs and lowest lows really opens up the world and though it might be painful it’s extremely beautiful.
I have personally never enjoyed the idea of saving someone or being saved. However, the idea of art saving someone is extremely appealing. To throw all your pain and madness into an art form and out of that create something beautiful amazes me. Doing so makes perfect sense because any kind of art is an outlet for feelings that may not be normal or acceptable, but are a part of you all the same. In a sense I suppose madness appeals to me because of the inspiration it can cause, but I only support productive madness, not the kind that leaves you bedridden. Productive crazy people tend to be more interesting than “normal” people and seem to have better taste in books and music. I guess like Kerouac said “the only ones for me are the mad ones.”
To me, it sounds like you think that "productive madness" is a good thing, but then frown on any madness you don't think is productive. I think that all madness has some kind of beauty to it, since it can help you create art, even if it "leaves you bedridden". Also, I don't think people divide so neatly into the categories of "normal" and "mad". There may or may not be such thing as normal, but in terms of insanity, everyone's a shade of grey.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that I can't stop thinking about the topic either. I'm glad to hear someone else relates and understands how poets feel and why they need that creative outlet. I love how you said "feeling the highest highs and the lowest lows really opens up the world and though it might be painful, it's extremely beautiful." That is a very poetic statement. Maybe art is the only way the psychotic can turn their world into a better place, or maybe that they can make people understand their world.
ReplyDeleteI am in complete agreement with Carolyn that any form of art is a perfect outlet for feelings, abnormal or unacceptable. Expression through writing, visual arts, dancing, acting, etc. allows the artist to temporarily escape his madness, but at the same time keeps him in tune with his own emotions and condition. Someone previously commented that all madness, productive or not, is beautiful because it can help produce art. Well, if an artist's madness is producing art, then he is productive and thus, his madness could be considered beautiful. However, in accordance with Carolyn's argument, when one's madness begins to interfere with his/her character, productivity, or efficiency, the idea madness becomes much less tasteful, and perhaps unacceptable. So basically an artist simply must learn to channel his/ her madness into something worthy of seeing/hearing/feeling/smelling/tasting.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do agree with you that poetry and art are positive things that can save people from madness, I also think that it could be the cause of madness in some artists. I'm saying this hypothetically because I don't actually know all the causes of why some artists became mad. But what if they became mad because they could not handle looking into themselves to creating art? What if their talent or even the act of creating art was too much for their souls? Many talented artists such as Beethoven (technically he is a type of artist) did not start out living as madmen, but their bodies and souls deteriorated as time went on. What if it was because they could not handle the darkness that was inside of them? Because they did not start out as crazy, but rather became crazy as they immersed themselves in their work. It is slightly depressing, but if their art really did save them, wouldn't they have gotten better and not worse?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rachel and Carolyn. Art creates madness in people, and that art is created by the madness. Sometimes I feel myself going a little insane just trying to find a creative way to write a paper, so I can only imagine how authors feel. As students we only get feed back from our teachers, and sometimes our peers. Most of the time it is constructive criticism and helpful. However authors get rejected and ridiculed by many different publishers, editors, and so on. As if writing their book didn't make them crazy enough. They defiantly would go over the edge from publishers tearing down their book and not to mention their self-esteem.
ReplyDeleteAs for the artists who create art through their already proven "madness" such as Van Gogh, I think that art really does help them express themselves in a less violent way. The "crazy" artists are usually the most popular ones because they always seem to look at life on a different level then everyone else, and the "normal" people enjoy that. But I honestly think that there is no such thing as "normal", everyone has a little bit of crazy in them. If we didn't then I don't think we would be able to appreciate all of the art that has been influenced by the madness.
than*
ReplyDeleteUnlike some people who commented in this blog, I do not think Art creates madness in people. “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” (Pablo Picasso) Art is a way of expression that allows the artist to get rid of some of the madness within. Through their work, artists such as poets, writers, musicians, and painters are allowed to express their feelings. "Feeling the highest highs and lowest lows really opens up the world and though it might be painful it’s extremely beautiful." I agree with what you are saying here because their works of art are beautiful and at the same time their art is saving them. Without Art, an Artists psychotic behavior would completely taint his or her soul. If the mad artist has no way of expression well then he will surely be "bedridden."
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