003–Structures

The people who have pioneered any art form have done so by taking existing concepts and filtering them through idiosyncratic tendencies.  The average consumer does not know how to see this.  Things are recognized based on how well they can mimic existing styles, and only then are they appreciated.  It causes music to stagnate and become so self-aware and vocal-centric that it's uncomfortable for me to listen to.  Writing becomes an adolescent lurch for punchy words.  Instead of relying on the novelty of a concept, it relies on the novelty of mimicry.

I don't believe that good art can only come from a new invention, but even what I recognize as 'good', when it does only a sort of mimicry, lends its own style to that structure.  It mixes an improvisational spirit with rote and measure.

The fluidity that comes with being comfortable in your own creation is something that can't be faked, unless those discerning it aren't intelligent enough to see past it.  And, that's what divides how people think of art.  There are the people that deconstruct only in terms of existing structures, and those whom deconstruct with an open mind toward the creator, to pick him or her apart as well.

A lot of people develop careers as critics based on how well they can define existing structures.  And, in my mind, it only helps the stagnation of art, and its subsequent consumerification; to turn it into a product.

002–Prophecy

Trying to work backwards, from predicting an outcome to implementing it, always ruins my creative process.  In some cases it's helpful, but it almost always causes me to work too hard to fill in gaps that don't necessarily need to be there.  It creates a stilted environment and self-conscious art.

I have probably twenty music tracks that I'll never finish for this reason, and an entire full-length CD that will never see the light of day.  The improvisational tone of the music I'm proud of is the antithesis to working backwards, to the point that it may seem unpolished or amateurish.  But, it's the only method that feels real to me.

Writing is much the same, in that trying to form structures before you even begin on them is asking for failure.  I enjoy writing impromtu and subconsciously much more than thinking about the end effect.  I always sub-vocalize as I write.  And, I contradict myself much more than I should.

It's harder to recognize in writing, but it is the Grand Dichotomy when it comes to music, for me.  There's an element to good music that was thought up as it was composed, or at least emoted as if it were.

001–Skull

It seems very human to think that the shape of a person's skull represents their personality and psychological makeup.  It feeds into the pattern-seeking part of the brain, and by self-fulfilling prophecy, you can kind of fill in details in a strangely personal way.  The appearance and characteristics of a person's body, posture, affects all have an impact on how they are perceived.

And before it was disproven, people that believed it was true probably thought it was obvious.  Just as people think it's obvious that morality comes from religion, or that the middle-ground is always the 'right' societal choice, or that there really is a racial divide between types of people.  But morality doesn't come from religion, and the idea that there are races of people is complete bullshit; People are all just people, cultured by their environments and shaped by genetics.

The real facets of human experience are obscured and ignored by preconceived notions that are almost always false.  Because a person's ego is usually stronger than the emotionlessness of seeking real information, information is valueless.  People will believe what makes them feel better, and think that's perfectly alright, as if reality doesn't have its own existence to base life upon.

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This blog is for a certain idea I came up with awhile ago, as a creative writing exercise.

Each post will be centered around a single word or term, taken randomly from the previous post.  At least, I will try to make it as random as I can.  At least 200 words.

In homage to a certain someone, The first is, “Skull”.