Great newsletter again Thomas, and a fitting complement to your previous one!
A few thoughts related;
I've known many "gifted" children in my time. How many of them managed to work upon their gift and transform it into something of substance? Not many. I've known many talented musicians who either stopped playing after a few years (because practice was taking too much time) or just kept themselves to their "repertoire" (comfort zone) and didn't wander into uncharted terrotitories, or even tried to write their own compositions. Even years later, you could always sense a little something was "off" with them. As if the child in them was still begging for that gift to express itself. I feel confortable saying this because I'm one of these persons. I was always writing stories and poems up until my young adult age when I left home to pursue "serious studies". Lack of time, interest in girls and whole new worlds opening to me made sure I kept that "gift" well hidden deep inside. But it never left. I could be in a bar with a girlfriend, or on holidays with friends, and I'd still catch myself writing sentences in my head when I saw something unusual or interesting around me. Seeing an old couple enter the restaurant and trying to write what their story could be in my head; watching a wave of fog slowly going down a hill and constructing all sorts of Lovecraftian possibilities around it. It truly never goes away. And I think I won't find peace until I let it express itself - one way or another.
"Which is why many artists are poor and many businessmen seem to lack a certain finesse or discretion in life. The worldviews are different."
I read I-don't-remember-where a very good article about what it takes to be a good movie producer. Most people think the producer is only here to write the checks and help put the movie team together. But it goes much further than that. A good movie producer is a rarity, a five-legged sheep that holds both the organizational and financials skills of an investor and the artistic sensibility of a creator. His role is not to tell the screenwriter, director and set photographer what to do, but to understand their vision and create the frame that will let it flourish. If the movie artists are bringing the raw materials to make gold, then the producer is the athanor in which they will pour them to eventually transmute all of it into gold.
But I agree, such sensibilities are rare...
Last point; I think you do the same, but when I like an author I tend to read his biography and put into context (and dates) his work. What I've noticed is that for most authors, their best work tends to happen just before they get recognized, but not however at the beggining of their career. Some would say it's because it was still "early work" but I think it's a little different; they usually produced their best content [ ;) ] when they were not totally starving anymore, and when they'd already received a little recognition (mostly within their own literary circles).
So, 1) when they were more "at ease" by not worrying anymore about how they would put food on the table tonight and 2) When the "and if" spark just ignited (meaning that for the first time, they KNEW their vision was possible, that it was not just a dream anymore).
And of course, once fame and financial retribution are there, we know how it usually goes...
Anyway, always a pleasure to read you Thomas, and have a Guiness in my name this month ;)
Great newsletter again Thomas, and a fitting complement to your previous one!
A few thoughts related;
I've known many "gifted" children in my time. How many of them managed to work upon their gift and transform it into something of substance? Not many. I've known many talented musicians who either stopped playing after a few years (because practice was taking too much time) or just kept themselves to their "repertoire" (comfort zone) and didn't wander into uncharted terrotitories, or even tried to write their own compositions. Even years later, you could always sense a little something was "off" with them. As if the child in them was still begging for that gift to express itself. I feel confortable saying this because I'm one of these persons. I was always writing stories and poems up until my young adult age when I left home to pursue "serious studies". Lack of time, interest in girls and whole new worlds opening to me made sure I kept that "gift" well hidden deep inside. But it never left. I could be in a bar with a girlfriend, or on holidays with friends, and I'd still catch myself writing sentences in my head when I saw something unusual or interesting around me. Seeing an old couple enter the restaurant and trying to write what their story could be in my head; watching a wave of fog slowly going down a hill and constructing all sorts of Lovecraftian possibilities around it. It truly never goes away. And I think I won't find peace until I let it express itself - one way or another.
"Which is why many artists are poor and many businessmen seem to lack a certain finesse or discretion in life. The worldviews are different."
I read I-don't-remember-where a very good article about what it takes to be a good movie producer. Most people think the producer is only here to write the checks and help put the movie team together. But it goes much further than that. A good movie producer is a rarity, a five-legged sheep that holds both the organizational and financials skills of an investor and the artistic sensibility of a creator. His role is not to tell the screenwriter, director and set photographer what to do, but to understand their vision and create the frame that will let it flourish. If the movie artists are bringing the raw materials to make gold, then the producer is the athanor in which they will pour them to eventually transmute all of it into gold.
But I agree, such sensibilities are rare...
Last point; I think you do the same, but when I like an author I tend to read his biography and put into context (and dates) his work. What I've noticed is that for most authors, their best work tends to happen just before they get recognized, but not however at the beggining of their career. Some would say it's because it was still "early work" but I think it's a little different; they usually produced their best content [ ;) ] when they were not totally starving anymore, and when they'd already received a little recognition (mostly within their own literary circles).
So, 1) when they were more "at ease" by not worrying anymore about how they would put food on the table tonight and 2) When the "and if" spark just ignited (meaning that for the first time, they KNEW their vision was possible, that it was not just a dream anymore).
And of course, once fame and financial retribution are there, we know how it usually goes...
Anyway, always a pleasure to read you Thomas, and have a Guiness in my name this month ;)
Excellent piece. Thank you