I guess on this particular topic, the question that comes to mind is... How? How are you supposed to express something that's inexpressible? It's a similar conundrum to moving an immovable object, or stopping an unstoppable force. How? And considering the frustration that comes from attempting the seemingly impossible, why?
This has been weighing pretty heavily on my mind for a while now, and I think it might have something to do with my supposed talent of expression. I've been told that I'm creatively gifted (and assuming I am gifted in any way, I suppose that's the only way I could be), and creativity is supposed to give you more outlets for emotion. It's true enough that you can expound or explain an emotion through a lot of creative pathways, though I've found that some are easier to do than others. For example, writing a song that elicits a "cool" is much easier than writing one that consistently garners a "pretty" or "tender" (Is it any wonder that so many songs are in minor keys of one form or another?). But despite the range of emotion that can be conveyed by a song or a poem, it's baffling as an artist to find situations where I'm completely unable to express to any semblance of completion exactly what I am feeling.
I suppose that by and large very few emotions are so massive that this issue arises, but arise it does, and I think that the occasion might be a gift of sorts. Many times when dealing with this particular problem (concerning my inability to express one particular emotion) I find myself in deep contemplation, trying to wrap my mind around the way I feel and discovering in the process new and deeper levels of understanding. There's always more to be uncovered.
I think that maybe the problem lies not in the impossibility of the emotion to be expressed, but the fact that I can create nothing as limitless in it's potential as is my emotion. I'm thinking of unconditional, limitless love. Inexpressible in the highest degree, but ennobling and uplifting on a personal level. Despite the lack of awards or recognition I'm receiving from my efforts to express this love, I've found myself a better man for the pursuit of that end.
So maybe that's why. As for how... well, I'm still working on that. I'll let you know if I ever get close.
This has been weighing pretty heavily on my mind for a while now, and I think it might have something to do with my supposed talent of expression. I've been told that I'm creatively gifted (and assuming I am gifted in any way, I suppose that's the only way I could be), and creativity is supposed to give you more outlets for emotion. It's true enough that you can expound or explain an emotion through a lot of creative pathways, though I've found that some are easier to do than others. For example, writing a song that elicits a "cool" is much easier than writing one that consistently garners a "pretty" or "tender" (Is it any wonder that so many songs are in minor keys of one form or another?). But despite the range of emotion that can be conveyed by a song or a poem, it's baffling as an artist to find situations where I'm completely unable to express to any semblance of completion exactly what I am feeling.
I suppose that by and large very few emotions are so massive that this issue arises, but arise it does, and I think that the occasion might be a gift of sorts. Many times when dealing with this particular problem (concerning my inability to express one particular emotion) I find myself in deep contemplation, trying to wrap my mind around the way I feel and discovering in the process new and deeper levels of understanding. There's always more to be uncovered.
I think that maybe the problem lies not in the impossibility of the emotion to be expressed, but the fact that I can create nothing as limitless in it's potential as is my emotion. I'm thinking of unconditional, limitless love. Inexpressible in the highest degree, but ennobling and uplifting on a personal level. Despite the lack of awards or recognition I'm receiving from my efforts to express this love, I've found myself a better man for the pursuit of that end.
So maybe that's why. As for how... well, I'm still working on that. I'll let you know if I ever get close.
That's why I gave up writing poetry. I'm hoping it comes across better in long form fiction, but I can't really tell.
ReplyDelete