Poem: Artist’s Movitation

Seoul Sister, , , 
If I worried 
about what people thought 
of me or my art
I wouldn’t create anything. 

Paralysis of ideas vs judgement 
but validation is subjective
You can’t win or please them all
So create for your target audience 
The rest can leave to troll another day.

It’s not fearlessness 
that propels artist’s 
controversial or unpopular art
it’s an involuntary response
We pour ourselves out  
like sweating or crying or exhaling.

A key difference between 
real life and art is editing.
To point out what’s wrong or lacking
is missing the point
of individual expression. 

Artists first copy to learn
as they progress 
they develop their own 
Mastery of art 
is confidence in style.

The skill of disregarding critics:
Who have nothing unique to give
Who take no personal risks 
Who never reveal anything
Who create nothing but destruction 
Tearing down and crushing
the artist like a target.

A psychological difference 
between professional vs amateur 
(Master vs student)
Is Conscious Awareness 
it has little to do with 
the mundane exchange of money.

So if critical experts 
pretentiously ask you 
for your deeds and credentials-
your awards and accomplishments-
Tell them to go fuck themselves 
in the the hell that they dwell in.

30 Comments

  3. Hi ya sweet friend. Hope all is going well with you. You are a blessing you know. People need to know if you want to be published, somewhere out there is someone who will understand you, get you even feel you. However in between it can be a bit of a wait. What ever you do don’t stop expressing yourself. Look at all those incredible and unbelievably talented artist who were never recognized until they died. So many living with ridicule and extreme poverty. Love you my friend. Sending you moon flowers for this evening. Love bunches Joni

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    1. Hi Joni, thank you. I never try to publish my poems because I guess I don’t think it has value to me but I don’t think it’s wrong to be published. I think my poem is about the academic world and the snobbery of certain people who rely on status. I have strong opinions about mainstream culture in general. I write because it’s therapeutic for me, it’s my form of therapy to get my opinions and experiences out. I have published a short memoir story and plan to self-publish more stories as well as poetry collections. I’d like to to that not because I think I can become “famous” but just to get my work out in the world even if just a few read my work. I agree with you that many famous writers/artists were unrecognized during their lives but their work still survives. I hope my poem wasn’t offensive, it wasn’t meant for any poets that I follow on WP, I’m all for their success. My rant was against “the establishment”, the gatekeepers and critics of the world. Hugs to you my friend 💖🤗🌿🌸🌷🌿❣️

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  4. My dear friend. We must be like Hemingway or a Bukowski. Write, create and don’t give a damn about the naysayers. I wish you would write more poetry and story. You had lived a long life and saw so much. I enjoyed your work. Have some fun and be safe my friend.

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    1. Hi John, thank you my friend. I think you’re right, writing is what we’re meant to do. Critics are meant to be ignored :). I should write more poems and stories, I get too caught up in the world’s dramas. I’ll try to remember there’s still much good and beauty in our world💖. I hope you’re having fun and much blessings to you too.

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      1. Yes, he was a determined writer/poet. I saw an interesting documentary about him. He luckily, eventually found a sponsor that believed in his talent. He lived a hard life and self-medicated with alcohol. I remember he said that he was once so poor that he could only afford to eat 1 chocolate bar a day! He was a prolific writer and survivor of life.

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  9. So much here to unpack. It’s a really good poem about the analysis of writing. Those first two stanzas really set up the rest. “Paralysis of ideas”: I guess this is really where writer’s block comes from. That sense of paralysis comes from listening to the critics and then deciding that what you write isn’t good enough. I guess you can’t really care about what others think of your writing because you’re always going to be hearing no. That’s a really interesting idea here that fearless or taboo art is not created apurpose: “controversial or unpopular art / it’s an involuntary response”. You might be write. For the most part art is just what comes out. There’s no control over it until the editing process almost. I guess you’re right here too; this is what artists need the most to succeed at writing: “The skill of disregarding critic”. Thanks for sharing this!

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    1. Hi Benjamin, I appreciate your thoughtful insight. You’ve inspired me to make more realizations. I’m generally introverted and private but while writing, I’m more like an extrovert :), the self-censorship turns off. It’s like all that I’m politely censoring in public, comes out. Writing is such an interesting process, a solitary but communal sharing of perceptions. I think we’re socialized to act/think a certain way but writing/art has a revolutionary quality that breaks through that training. I think that’s why many had pseudonyms/pen names, I’d probably feel ever more free if I had that extra mask. I revealed my name already 🙂 so I can’t use that though. I think writers have a deep quest for finding and expressing truth. I guess editing is the polishing and presentation of perceptions. 🙂

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