I wrote a lengthy piece about movies and the Oscars. And about three-quarters of the way through, I decided that the general population doesn’t give a rat’s booty what I think of movies. I was typing away like I’m Siskel and Ebert or something.
That’s the whole thing about writing, in a public way like this. I’ve noticed others do it, and I am certainly guilty of it. There are times when we think people might actually care what we think about a topic.
I gave you my whole life history of reflections of the movies, and where they left me hot or cold. And after an hour or so, I killed the file. Tripe.
That’s the thing about creation, though, and letting others “see” or “experience” what you’ve done. For a very long time, I would not put any of my “work” out there. But I so loved to create. It started with drawing when I was young. And then, of course, there was that brief stint as a writer when I was seven years old. For those who missed the story. One day, I walked into the kitchen, where my mom was standing at the stove, stirring something. I told her, in earnest, that I wanted to be a writer. She went to a countertop drawer, pulled out a stack of looseleaf paper, and a pencil, sat me down at the kitchen table, and said, “If you want to be a writer, start writing.”
I stared at that blank paper in front of me for a long time, pencil in hand. I may have even plugged out my name on the sheet, all seventeen letters of it. And then I announced, “For now, I think I shall just go outside and play.”
As a photography major, it was hard for me to let people see my work. Still, to this day, I’m slow to show my photographs — which I rarely make these days, with the exception of loosely thought iPhone shots.
But back to creation. Many people love to create things. Through painting, sculpting, writing, photography, baking, knitting, sewing, gardening, and on. I am not sure why it is that we love to create. Some people are driven by the need.
The important thing, I believe, is that we should create whatever it is that we are drawn to. We should honor that call within us. And whether or not we share that with others is up to each individual. It may be a part of our connection with the world, the thing we are supposed to give.
I didn’t watch the Oscars last night, but I am sure there were a lot of people there who had given a good part of their lives to creating things for other’s enjoyment, education, awareness. Even if they didn’t win an Oscar, I hope they have found something rewarding for their work.
The lessons I’ve seen from this reminds me of a quote I read this morning. It says,
“Be faithful to that which exists within yourself.” (Andre Gide)
Be faithful to that which exists within yourself.
That is the place where all of us should begin our every breath of every day.
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“To create is to live twice.”
― Albert Camus
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“We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be.”
― May Sarton
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“You are who you are when nobody’s watching.”
― Stephen Fry
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