I have recently posted something on the Sketchbook which instigated a few reactions among the members of our society. I will try to explain myself hereby.
First of all, I need to give my thanks for the feedback. It is always welcome. Any creative endeavour is a channel of communication between the artist and the audience. I do not imply that I am an excellent artist. Remember that English is not my first language, though I have tried to master it.
I would not have been able to improve without the valuable feedback of those people who took the time to read and assess my efforts. I appreciate it very much. I apologise if some people have been personally offended by the style or the content of my recent creation. It is not meant to attack any particular or existing person. Although it is something that comes out my life, any link to actual facts and people should be regarded as merely coincidental. Art is beyond reality to me. I remind that the space where I posted is only a Sketchbook intended for artistic endeavours. I do not believe to be a journalist or psychologist that analyses reality through the prism of science. My humble opinion is only about my emotions that needed to be expressed lurking in my tiny brain. I apologise if my artistic licence offended some people.
The poem is about a game of words too. I thought it over several times whether I should mention any name. But when I say that Love to me is spelled with four letters and has an O in it, how can I mutilate my creation by cutting off the actual ‘name of the rose’?
However, if that piece in question cannot be tolerated as an artistic creation, then I would agree to remove it from the Forum. I respect and carefully listen to others’ opinions, especially when they are sincere and well-intended. I respect the right of privacy of other people. I respect and honour the terms I had agreed to follow when I joined this Forum. If this attempt of mine should cost me my membership, I am ready to accept the consequences.
I am quite emotional sometimes, but I always show love to everybody regardless of the content of their character, their ability or the colour of their skin. I acknowledge that we are all here together to support each other and have fun, of course respecting each other's boundaries. Once again, please forgive my artistic licence. My intentions were the best.
Cheers Apo, like i said before, it is your call. I wouldn't dream of deleting your post, but i would always request you consider how you are making the other person feel Please keep posting your stuff though, your style flows nicely.
Dear friends, Please see the following post regarding my recent poem. It is a an attempt to explain through the prism of reality my artistic endeavours. It has already been posted under the same topic as the poem, but since I am removing that topic for good reasons I am posting it here as well.
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Thank you Mr Darcy, that’s a very good point; for me to start.
If Fact is what I and only I think, then I am talking about Facts. However, in that clause the use of ‘actual facts and people’ refers to what statistically the majority around me would regard as true. No, I am not talking about that kind of ‘truth’. No, I am not referring to any person that any member of this Society knows. I had to use the name John, because I had to name the Rose, as in Love. I am writing with metaphors and words, not with figures and charts. I am writing about my inside world, the world that lurks within the few inches of my brain. I am not claiming to be an excellent artist, but I am still developing through my creative endeavours. When I wrote that poem I was wearing the ‘cloak of the artist’. Now, it is time to take it off.
It is hard for artists to talk about their own creations and assess their inner world. But an artist is also a person; as an actual self that can see with the eyes of the world closing for a minute the eyes of the soul. It is hard for a parent to judge her child. But sometimes, when conditions require, the parent has to become judge.
Conditions and people compelled me to cast a critical view to what I have written in the spur of the moment. The light of my soul as expressed in those nine verses has blinded others and plunged them into obscurity.
It is probably a human feature: the thirst for truth. It is about the curiosity of what is hiding in the mind of the creator (any Creator). When I see a painting, I sometimes catch myself thinking what on end had this person in his mind when he painted that. However, I am not interested primarily in finding the actual model that posed for the painting in order to understand that piece of art. This trend to focus on the ‘model’ rather than the piece of art is not new; yet very fashionable lately.
Some people are interested in the figure of Jesus, whether he had an actual life, whether he was a vegan or a vegetarian, how did he used to do his necessities, if he ever made love, if he had children etc. Is this historical analysis, religion or art? Or is it just the kind of curiosity that made Big Brother a worldwide success? I have heard there is a new book that sees Jesus through that kind of prism. I haven’t read it yet, but can imagine it. What’s the point trying to approach a religion through the scientist’s eye? Then you don’t see it as Religion. And, if you don’t see the Gospel as Religion, why then Jesus should have an importance to you? However, the book in question is not Science. It is Art. When I don’t see the Gospel as Religion, I miss probably the main point. When I don’t see that new book as Art, I equally miss a main point.
We are all curious to find facts in anything. But we all strive to enjoy Art as well. Should we struggle to find figures and charts behind the personae that appear in the story? I would rather enjoy the work of art as such rather than struggling to find which factory made the paints.
Jesus is a central figure in the Gospel. If I approached it as religion, I would not bother about the actual everyday life of Jesus himself. Equally John is a central figure in my relevant poem. If I approached it as Art, then I would not bother about the actual John.
I have now stepped aside looking at my poem and questioning myself: should I start analysing the poem and exposing to the world the actual facts and people that lie behind it? Is this the point of Art?
For the sake of goodwill and respect to the people who indirectly have asked me to do so, I will try to do it. For the sake of loyalty and friendship to the people affected by this poem, I am ready to ‘sacrifice’ my privacy. Yes, there are actual people behind it. But they are not really as depicted in that poem. I had very few close relationships in the 26 years of my life so far. Three of them were named John. I maintain good relationships with all of them. I had good or bad moments with all of them. When I write about a John, I write about a collective ‘artist’s impression’. I gather features from every John I met and build a 3D picture in my mind. What happens though when one dies? He left me recently and that was for good. He opened his wings for the final destination. I was overwhelmed with bitterness. I experienced fear. I saw the lonely path of eternity approaching. I didn’t dare finding anyone to talk openly about it. I had to express my emotions in a poem about love and deception, about forgiveness and freedom. I forgive so that I can feel free myself first. It sounds selfish, but others can equally benefit from that forgiveness. It sounds ideal, but it is only a ground upon which I am trying to build my life so far.
My emotions have been expressed. I was happy to see people reading the poem and faced some reactions. One feels free when accumulated emotions are shared with the community. I believe the community of this Forum has so far embraced me, respected confidentiality and allowed me to ‘come out’ emotionally. I have not been able to come out to the wider world yet. I believe this is a natural process that will evolve slowly and gradually in the form of circles of trust.
The present statement is a kind of ‘coming-out’ statement. As a kind of artist, I tried to speak about my creation, but I would not see this statement as final.
Thank you
Apo
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Please keep posting your stuff though, your style flows nicely.
