You Can't Read That!

Douglas Clark
-Head writer, The Inspiration Engine

In the United States we have a list of things that supposedly guarantee each citizen rights – This list is called the Bill of Rights. You might have heard of these rights; they’re the first ten amendments to the US Constitution. The first one, and arguably the most well-known and most well-defended is the Freedom of Speech. It reads:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Expressing that ‘speech’ has become known to include the arts such as painting, sculpting, theater, cinema, and writing. Now, there are certain provisos that accompany these rights, often times coming in the form of a certain censorship. Obvious examples would be not allowing someone to shout ‘FIRE’ in a crowded theater when there is no fire, or allowing children to watch pornographic or violent movies. There is a line between sensible distribution of this expression and the inappropriate display to those unprepared to interprete it.

Now I bring this up because as a writer I want people to read my work and hopefully gain a positive from it. I’m sure many, if not most or all writers are looking to have their work read and be part of the greater whole of literature. The idea of banning a book, to me, is unthinkable. Now I get it that there are some books that are vulgar, sexist, racist, gratuitous, abusive, ill-conceived, and otherwise just poorly written. However, it would seem to me that some books are banned simply because they do not appeal to the sensibilities of those doing the banning.

According to the American Library Association there is a list of 100 frequently banned books by organizations, groups, schools, etc from across the country. As an example, check out this list from 1990 to 1991. Thing is, I’ve read many of the books on this particular list at different times in my life. Not one of them was so offensive or duplicitous as to make me feel no one else should ever read it. Granted, some were unsettling or disturbing, but to me they presented a perspective I had not experienced or was aware of. This exposure allowed me to expand my scope of thinking and come to a greater understanding. One good example is from Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. The basic premise is a large group of boys are trapped on a deserted island with no adult supervision. The way Golding constructs the plot and narrative to slowly and deliberately expose the degradation of civility and society because of the lack of rule of law and authority is staggering and hauntingly foretelling. Some would say the book is too violent, especially because the main characters are all adolescent boys. I could relate to this story, first because I was once an adolescent boy, and two because there are circumstances and instances where law and authority break down, and I’ve seen them.

My point here is that even though art (in this case the written word) can be offensive and unpleasant, where do we draw the line when it comes to exposing the truth of our own society? A lot of these books are guilty of pulling off the mask society wears. They expose prejudices and conceits, our hypocrisies and deliberate lies; they expose the ugly truth if you will. 

Is the truth too disturbing to be laid out bare for all to see? And should we keep lying to ourselves and hide behind censorship? Or are these books so offensive and unacceptable they should never see the light of day again?

What do you think?

Thanks for reading. Questions and Comments are welcome.

It's So Subjective

Art is subjective. People will argue what qualifies and what doesn't, but the power and motivation to create reveals itself in various ways. What comes from that inspiration is a reflection of a creative impulse, a drive for expression. Not all art has to be classical figures or subjects. 

Take Jackson Pollock for example. He painted in a highly eccentric way producing works much different than Leonardo or Monet. To me, his work is still art. 

What do you see?

This last one always reminded me of a surfer with a board tucked under his arm.  

So what do you think? Is it art? Why?

Thanks for reading. Questions and comments welcome. 

A Simple Bit of Inspiration

The instrumental song Clubbed to Death (Kurayamino Mix) by Rob Dougan is one of my all time favorite songs. I have listened to it countless times to get in the mood for writing. Now, almost like a Pavlovian response to hearing it, I feel the need to put words on paper. 

For your listening pleasure: Link Here 

The piano solos half way through and at the end are just amazing to me. I find myself wanting to listen to this piece at least twice every time I hear it. 

What about you? Are than any piece of music you find inspirational and motivational? Let me know what they are. I'd love to have more music to motivate me.

Thanks for reading. Questions and comments are welcome.  

Do You Need Recognition?

How much have you accomplished in your life? Is it a lot or just a little? Are you satisfied with the things you have done or do you feel the need to excel, to strive, and continue onward? For me, life is an ever expanding opportunity to experience more and attempt new things. I'm still working on finishing my novel. I've got one chapter to go for a completed draft and I can tell you I'm a much better writer for the attempt. For the most part, I don’t need others’ approval or blessing when attempting something new; I’m not overly concerned with their praise or validation either. However, I would admit that a bit of recognition once in a while is really important, dare I say needed. Now I’m not waiting around for people to stop me on the street and point their finger at me and scream like I’m some kind of rock star, or have to paparazzi chase me down for a quick snap shot. It is nice though, to be appreciated and know your efforts are at least worth someone taking note.

But how much do you need to be lauded, praised and applauded? Do you need it at all? With so many people in the world, it’s almost impossible to not get lost in the crowd. The law of averages almost assures that most of us will be the anonymous majority, but that doesn’t mean you have to be average, or mediocre. You can always strive to be your best and make a lasting impact, even if it’s only toward the ones you love. But mediocrity, don’t let it overshadow who you are. It reminds me of the last scene from the movie Amadeus. Salieri laments that he is nothing compared to Mozart and that fact drove him mad.

Watch it here:

Salieri’s obsession with things he had no control over became too much. His fatal flaw lay in the fact that he constantly compared himself to Mozart, instead of measuring is own abilities and talents against himself. There’s a danger in wanting recognition, and that danger is the fact that comparisons will always be drawn to competitors, peers, contemporaries, etc. In my view, that’s a trap. So don’t get caught in it. Only compare yourself with yourself and always try to improve on the previous version. You might just keep your sanity. At the very least you’ll know where you’ve been and how much you have improved.

Can you think of a specific time you got lost in competition with others? Was it worth it?

Thanks for reading. Questions and Comments are welcome. 

Comparing Greatness

So I was thinking lately how different people are inspired and motivated in different ways. For me, I've always found inspiration, fascination, and enjoyment from movies. In fact, I'm pretty sure from the age of 10 to about 18 all I really did was watch TV and movies. As I got older I managed to learn how to do other interesting things as well, so don't worry, I'm not a couch potato. 

However, there are times when I remember certain movies I've watch and just how much they affected me. It's also interesting to compare movies that deal with the same subject matter, or that are based on the same source material. One of my favorite examples is Henry V, by Shakespeare. By far my favorite play from the old bard, this play has been made into a movie many times. The two most notable are Laurence Olivier's 1944 version, and Kenneth Branagh's 1989 version. 

The Olivier version:

The Branagh version:

Now Olivier has the reputation of being one of the world's greatest actors of all time; Kenneth Branagh is less well know. However in my mind there's no doubt or debate that the Branagh version is so incredibly inspirational and emotionally powerful, it stands above Olivier's version, or any other version by about a thousand miles. 

I had a Shakespeare class in college where we viewed these exact versions. I remember being thoroughly bored and falling asleep while watching the Olivier version. When we watched Branagh's version, I was riveted to my seat, completely mesmerized. 

It's fair to note that in 1944, Olivier was making a movie that tried to rouse war weary Englanders to keep fighting the Nazis. The Branagh version tried to illustrate the horrors and torment of war. Regardless of the actors and directors' motivations, on a purely inspirational level, Kenneth Branagh brought it to a new level; one that I doubt could ever be matched.

Unlike a lot of other Shakespearean speeches, this one is pretty much in plain English and is easily understood. 

But what do you think? Two great actors delivering basically the exact same speech. Are you inspired, motivated, roused? Which, if either, makes the greater impact?

You see, inspiration can and does come from many places. Seeing things from different perspectives can fundamentally change the way you feel about a subject. That's why keeping an open mind is so important. Heck, every time Branagh finished his speech I want to get up and fight right along side him.

Do you?

Thanks for reading. Questions and comments are welcome. 

Answers to the Game

Hi all.

Hope you like my little art guessing game. At the very least I hope that you were exposed to some art that you've never seen before. More importantly though, I hope you expanded you mind and artistic pallet to incorporate various genres and styles. So, to end the suspense, I've provided the answers below.  

1. Adoration of the Magi - 1496  - Filippino Lippi

2. Basket of Flowers (Fabergé egg) – 1901 Peter Carl Faberge

3. Hagia Sophia – 532 - Isidore of Miletus, Anthemius of Tralles

4. Self-portrait with two pupils – 1785 – AdelaideLabile-Guiard

5. Night Watch -1642-  Rembrant

6. Sydney Opera house – 1973 - Jorn Utzon 

7. L’Ange du Foyer -1937- Max Ernst

Thanks for reading. Questions and Comments are welcome!

Let's Play a Game

Let's try something a bit different. I'm going to post seven pictures. They depict certain various forms of art that I have always admired and found inspirational. See how well you can identify the art and/or artist. 

Here we go:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7. (This one is my all time favorite painting.)

See if you can find the answers. I bet you won't be able to get them all. But think about how each piece inspires you and let me know what you think.

Play along, it will be fun. 

Thanks for reading. Questions and comments are always welcome.