You’re the meaning in my life
O hai! I’m Vyx. You may remember me from such blogs as: Prolifically Barren. I’m pretty new to this business of blogging, and have made my name writing about writing.
I’ve just finished reading Nate’s contribution to Kendra’s blog and I have to say that it’s making me chuckle. Not just because of the wit and personality therein, but because I’ve been trying to fashion some genius for the better part of a week, but each of those aspects of life have blocked my path. (Well. No. Four out of five. I am definitely not a new father. Or old mother, for that matter.) So I have to say, great post, Nate! I’ll be adding you to my blogroll as soon as I’m done here!
I would like to write, a bit, about influence. So, I’ll be focusing on my personal Achilles heel: Inspirado.
I struggle with writing. I quite enjoy doing it, but I find that I rarely sit down and actually write. This is because of two things: 1) I am a lazy (and very established) procrastinator and 2) I find myself generally lacking in inspiration to draw from. It is very difficult to sit in front of a blank space and expect that you will be able to create something to fit into it. That is a lot of pressure. However, it should be noted that influence is all around us, as is inspiration. They, influence and inspiration, travel this garden path hand in hand.
Time for a very fitting, and very convenient, example. Last night a very good friend and I took in Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2 (I’m going to neglect to write a review about it if that’s okay with you folks). After the film had let out and I was driving home I had several strong urges to write something dark and terribly destructive. This is not a new urge, I am not a calm and collected person, but I had to smile at how strongly I had been effected by the gore and themes of the flick.
Much akin to that, whenever I finish a Neil Gaiman novel (otherwise known as a piece of artistic genius), I am inspired to hit the keyboard with something quirky, witty and fresh. Plugging the ol’ Apocalyptica through the speakers of this fancy little laptop makes me able to write with more finess and less distractin. Stephen King, in my past, has smoothed the path for my writing the type of literature I had the inclination to delve into last night after the flick.
Books. Films. Television shows. Music. Pieces of visual art. All of it influences how we create, because it helps to shape the way we live and the way we view life. All of it, too, can inspire us. I am quite able to drift through a day without any (creative) activity whatsoever until I catch a whiff of something interesting, be it any of the aforementioned cultural authorities or something a little less corporeal and a little more whimsical, and then I become a phenom. (Well, all right, I think like a phenom. I still haven’t quite figured out how to get all of those wonderful thoughts onto paper, but I feel that having the thoughts is a great start.)
What, I suppose, it comes down to is that life is inspiring. The immediate are easily recognized as they are generally in the forefront of our lives (we all watch TV/movies, listen to music, enjoy literature, and/or photography and other such visual masterpieces), and so make more tangible examples. There are others, though. I’ve been inspired by the way the breeze dances with leaves on a tree, and so I am influenced by nature (as, I have noticed, our Kendra is). I have friends who can spin fairy tale-esque accounts of love and bliss that are based on their own adventures in life, they are influenced by the heart’s breath. Inspiration is everywhere, you just have to pay attention. And? If you’re having some problems finding it? Use K’s blog, she’s put out some fantastic prompts that can be used for the writers and artists both. (See K? I told you that you were my inspiration. AND you influence my life! You’re a pretty big deal, and I’m not just saying that ’cause you let me loose on your wall with a red crayon!)
Thank you, Kendra, for the opportunity to grace your blog with my moderate insanity. Keep on keepin’ on, honey! Rock on.
John Cougar Mellencamp – Jack and Diane
UNT.
