As I was watching tv tonight, I realized this. The more I think about it the more I realize that it is going on everywhere. Nowadays tv is just mind-numbing junk designed to just keep kids entertained but not to inspire creativity, not to make kids want to go out and create something great or make something better. Sure tv has been for a long time a main source of entertainment, but the quality of the shows that are on tv has only gone downhill.
Maybe tv is not the best example or not convincing enough? Lets talk about movies. Movies are the same mind rotting garbage just in a two hour version. Very few movies now are really worth watching. You go to the movies and spend at least $8 on a ticket and watch the movie, and you come out of the theatre with only less money and nothing really to show for it. I think that it is truly sad that movies are not the way they used to be. Years ago, probably before I was born, movies really used to be ABOUT something. Movies would INSPIRE you. Kids would come out and dream of being that hero of the story. Two great directors that still can instill that feeling in me come to mind: The late John Hughes who passed away recently, who made such films as The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and many more. I think he was a great director that really connected with the youth of the 80’s and made them feel like the movies were for them. The second director is Hayao Miyazaki: director of Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Monnonoke, and the upcoming film Ponyo. Miyazaki stands out to me, not only for his beautifully animated movies, but the stories that he tells with them. They are all so creative. I know there are tons of directors that I am overlooking from long before I was born who were truly pioneers in what they did.
Another thing that is dying, if not already dead is handwritten letters. With e-mail and all of the “social networking sites” there are now nobody writes handwritten letters anymore. I was reading a blog by a girl who knew John Hughes and she was actually pen pals with him. They would actually write letters back and forth to each other. One thing that Mr. Hughes said to her regarding writing stuck out to me:
“…Do you like the way you write? Please yourself. I'm rather fond of writing. I actually regard it as fun. Do it frequently and see if you can't find the fun in it that I do." –John Hughes.
I think Mr. Hughes had a good point here, especially for beginner writers like myself. It should be something fun for you to do. I think that if you can start out just writing to please yourself, and have fun with it, then you can eventually write for many people and express the joy you had in writing it to them and in turn, inspire creativity in them as well. I want to charge anyone who reads this to try just shutting off the tv for a while. Pick up a book, get inspired, get creative!
-Danny
Danny:
ReplyDeleteYou have no idea how it thrilled me to read this post! You really nailed it!
Creativity does die as people are lulled to sleep by the spirit of the age. But you are living proof that the spark of creativity is still out there, and that it catches fire every now and again.
But you'd better watch out. Reading Lewis got me started down the path that you're on now, frustrated with the world and disgusted by what passes for "art." And if you remain on that path, soon you'll be quoting G.K. Chesterton and annoying all your friends. Speaking of which, here's a good one for you:
"It is of the new things that ment tire, of fashions and proposals and improvements and change. But it's the old things that startle and intoxicate; it's the old things that are really new." -Chesterton
Caleb,
ReplyDeleteThanks man, you have no idea how much your encouragement means in my writing. You are absolutely right about people being lulled to sleep.
I'll have to check out some Chesterton stuff. Any recommendations?
-Danny
Danny,
ReplyDeleteAs I read your post it caused me to think of how the Uncreated One must get such a chuckle out of how hard we try to seperate ourselves from the next guy in our creativity; to the very point of killing creativity all together.
Then how a tear must fall from that infinite eye at the adulteration of the gift given.
You are right on top of this with your thoughts on the degredation of creativity.
Creativity is merely a reflection of a gift and not the gift itself. The true gift of creativity is the revealed nature of the creator; be that you or Him. Creativity for creativity sake is but a counterfeit and void.
Seek alway what can be reveal from creativity and not the outcome. The final product will unchain itself and live on it's own.
David Mayo