Are happy people boring?

[Leo]

I imagined the "torture" resulted from insecurity, self doubt, depression.

 

[luka]

Well it depends doesn't it.mas I was saying earlier it seems safe to say that in the case of Celan for instance it was being imprisoned in a work camp by the Nazis and having the Nazis kill his family. In his case a lot of the 'torture' would come from that source. Varies, case to case.

 

[luka]

Not saying he might not also have suffered from insecurity.

 

[IdleRich]

There's better drugs now. It's not the 1930s

But still alcohol is better for sitting around moping and writing than ecstasy I think. Never heard of anyone claiming the latter as part of their creative process - musicians yeah, not writers - although I'm sure there is someone.

 

[luka]

I don't think you necessarily need to write on the drug. You can. But you can use the insights and experiences you gained from the drug to feed into the writing

 

[luka]

It informs your world view it gives you lived experience of states you wouldn't otherwise have encountered all that kind of stuff.

 

[luka]

Opium for instance. Were people writing while on it, or in the afterglow?

 

[shiels]

Camus said a work of art is a confession according to a quote I just saw written across a picture of a snowy mountain so it’s true

 

[luka]

Plenty of people have written with alcohol obviously. But it's not a drug with a great deal of 'content' helps with loosening inhibitions. Being less afraid of the page. But not much content.

 

[luka]

Camus said a work of art is a confession according to a quote I just saw written across a picture of a snowy mountain so it’s true

That's a relief. We've got the answer. I thought I was going to have to stay up all night going round in circles.

 

[droid]

I dont think theres any huge mystery here. Higher IQ and creativity are strongly correlated with depression and mental illness.

Most smart & creative people are unhappy, most artists are smart and creative people.

 

[luka]

I think what shiels was saying about trauma is part of this. Each work representing a breaking down and reconfiguring of the self

 

[luka]

As a Great, albeit not especially tortured, Artist myself that is how I think of it.

These minature crises

 

[luka]

Something breaks down or stops being viable. We need to reassemble ourselves.

 

[Simon silverdollarcircle]

Plenty of people have written with alcohol obviously. But it's not a drug with a great deal of 'content' helps with loosening inhibitions. Being less afraid of the page. But not much content.

that guy who wrote Withnail and I said that he needed to drink 2 bottles of wine before writing because otherwise he couldn't hear the voices coming through - his own personality / ego was blocking them.

I think he's a right prick really, but I think it's interesting point - surprisingly so, from him.

 

[droid]

As a Great, albeit not especially tortured, Artist myself that is how I think of it.

If you ever want a bit of reputation enhancing torture - Im here for you.

 

[luka]

If you ever want a bit of reputation enhancing torture - Im here for you.

Thanks droid. You're a true friend!

 

[luka]

that guy who wrote Withnail and I said that he needed to drink 2 bottles of wine before writing because otherwise he couldn't hear the voices coming through - his own personality / ego was blocking them.

I think he's a right prick really, but I think it's interesting point - surprisingly so, from him.

I always tell people evading the censor is the first thing you need to learn how to do. That was my experience.

 

[IdleRich]

I don't think you necessarily need to write on the drug. You can. But you can use the insights and experiences you gained from the drug to feed into the writing

Yeah sure. Someone said something about how it was impossible to actually make music on K, but some musicians definitely use the experience (or their memory of it) to put in noises and so on that resonate perfectly with the drug. It can't be a coincidence. I mean it becomes a sound and people ape it but so it's not everyone doing that but that's surely how it started.

 

[luka]

Surely. Shiels might remember that someone in the audience at the kpunk memorial lecture Simon did asked about the 'K-turn' in contemporary dance music.