“One is trying to say everything that can be said for the things that one loves while there’s still time.”
W. S. Merwin
Some words are hard to define, especially the ones that refer to abstract ideas. Certain words mean something different depending on who you talk to. I’m sure my definition of freedom will differ from yours. The same can be said about wealth, beauty, or love. One such term is “art”, but one of the best explanations comes from W. S. Merwin and you can read it above. To me, the purpose of art is to express something inside you. By this definition, the mere purpose of art is to simply exist.
Art comes in many forms and despite what some people believe, it’s not about achieving anything external like money or fame. Art is about creating something imperfect and doing so for its own sake. I tend to go back to some of my favorite pieces of art. When Kurt Cobain wrote “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, he described the main riff as “cliched” and bassist Chris Novaselic called it “ridiculous”. Cobain never thought he was composing an anthem to his generation. He simply wanted to express something. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” became an icon of the 1990s and is often referred to as one of the greatest songs ever made.
Another example is that of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” which is now considered one of the most recognizable songs in history. You can play the devilishly simple riff in minutes if I give you a guitar and simple instructions. The first person who heard that song though, told Jack White he “could do better”. The lesson here is the following: don’t judge your own work, that’s not your job. Your job is to create and release your work into the world. Then the world will judge it for you. “Seven Nation Army” received widespread acclaim, winning countless awards. More importantly, its cultural impact is hard to fathom. The song became a staple in sporting events, politicians adopted it as their anthem, and people used it as a protest song. That’s great for a song where some felt Jack White “could do better.”
No artist who contributes anything to popular culture sets out to do so. You can’t go into a recording studio thinking you’ll write the next “Smells Like Teen Spirit” or “Seven Nation Army”. Instead, go into the recording studio trying to express how you feel because not doing so is a sign of inauthenticity. Don’t do things for an invisible jury and don’t do things for money or fame. Whenever I read about creativity, people write about it in an esoteric manner. There’s no practical way to become creative overnight, but if there’s a lesson about creativity, it’s this: you’re up to something when not doing it is more painful and unbearable than doing it.
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